wta finals race

Bubble Watch: Plenty of opportunity in San Diego to make up ground in Race

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The Oct. 31-Nov. 7 WTA Finals in Fort Worth will offer a bonanza of prize money and rankings points in both singles and doubles. With only two weeks and three tournaments left in the regular season, there are a handful of spots still available in both categories.

The San Diego Open, which starts Monday, offers a potentially game-changing 470 points to its champion. That might be one of the reasons such a stellar field is gathered in Southern California.

Eight of the Top 10 players in the Race to the WTA Finals are in the San Diego draw. World No.1 Iga Swiatek

, who has already secured her spot in Texas, is the top seed. No.2 , who has also qualified, is not playing this week.

Here are the next six in line: Jessica Pegula

(3,232), (2,983), (2,896), (2,885), (2,871) and (2,606). All but Kudermetova, who withdrew with a right shoulder injury, are playing San Diego.

Full Race standings here

Note: Simona Halep (2,661) is technically among the elite eight but will not play again in 2022.

The contenders that improved their positions last week:

Daria Kasatkina

View Profile : Moved to No.6 from No.7, ahead of Sabalenka, with a first-round win over in Ostrava.

Veronika Kudermetova

View Profile : At No.9, she jumped over Sakkari for the final singles spot by advancing to the semifinals in Monastir before falling to Alizé Cornet, 6-4, 6-3. Kudermetova was entered in San Diego but withdrew after the draw was made due to a shoulder injury.

Anett Kontaveit: Despite losing her first match in Ostrava, she moved past Beatriz Haddad Maia

into the 14th position. She will not play in San Diego due to injury.

Petra Kvitova: Upset Badosa, the No.2 seed in Ostrava, to move up to No.16, ahead of Danielle Collins

Ekaterina Alexandrova

View Profile : The Seoul champion moved up two spots, to No.18, just ahead of , by reaching the semifinals in Ostrava before losing to Swiatek.

Elena Rybakina

View Profile : Jumped up one spot to No.21 with three wins in the Czech Republic -- beating , and Kvitova -- before falling in the semifinals to , who sits at No.20. Krejcikova withdrew from this week’s WTA 250 event in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, with a left wrist injury.

A number of contenders failed to capitalize. Sakkari, Badosa and Haddad Maia all lost their first matches in Ostrava. Meanwhile, Belinda Bencic

won her first-round match and then granted Krejcikova a walkover.

Most of the contenders will have one more opportunity to pick up points, in the season’s final WTA 1000 event, next week in Guadalajara.