Emma Raducanu is in line to face Jessica Pegula again after being handed a tough Wuhan Open draw, which includes world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek.
British No. 1 Emma Raducanu opens her campaign at the WTA 1000 event against American Ann Li, the American world No. 47.
She then faces a potential clash with the ninth-seeded Ekaterina Alexandrova or the Canadian Open champion Victoria Mboko.
Raducanu could then get a shot at revenge against Pegula, having blown three match points in the second set tie-break against the world No. 7 at the China Open in Beijing last week. She then collapsed as the eventual semi-finalist raced through the decider, winning 3-6 7-6 (11-9) 6-0.
Fourth seed Amanda Anisimova is a potential quarter-final opponent. Ahead of her tournament debut, Raducanu was eager to draw on the positives.
“Yeah, I think it was hard for me. The last two matches that I lost, I had match points in both, and it’s not something that’s really happened to me before, and then to happen twice in a week was pretty new to get my head around,” Raducanu told a press conference.
“The second match, I found it easier to get over than the first because I knew I was playing some better tennis and just improving with my level.
“I feel like I didn’t take too long to dwell on it and just got straight back to work.
“And I do feel like I’m improving and making progress.
“I still see the differences in where I want to go, but I know I’m doing good work day-to-day to try and get there.”
Martina Navratilova answers the Sky Sports viewers’ questions, including how Raducanu might play with her new coach, and compares different eras in the history of tennis.
Raducanu has been picking up momentum during the hard-court swing, having reached the semifinals at the Citi Open and the third round at the US Open and National Bank Open.
The 22-year-old is the only British player already confirmed for the main draw of the WTA 1000 event, with Katie Boulter beaten 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 by Viktoriya Tomova in qualifying.
Sonay Kartal has opted out of the event following her brilliant run to the quarter-finals of the China Open.
This year’s main draw singles action will begin on Monday, October 6, and will run through to Sunday, October 12.
The Wuhan Open presents a prime opportunity for Raducanu to accumulate extra points in her ranking and enhance her chances of being seeded at next year’s Australian Open.
Aryna Sabalenka, Jessica Pegula, Jasmine Paolini, and Coco Gauff are the top seeds at the prestigious tournament in China.
