Thailand Open main draw provides challenges for top seeds
| This year’s GSB Thailand Open presented by E@ main draw has provided some challenging first round match-ups for the top players in the field.The main draw of the US$275,000 WTA International event in Hua Hin, Thailand starts on Monday and features World No.5 Elina Svitolina as the top seed. World No.15 Petra Martic and World No.27 Wang Qiang, both awarded wild cards for the tournament are seeded No.2 and No.3 respectively and will provide strong competition for Svitolina should they all progress to the later rounds. China’s Zheng Saisai takes the No.4 seed and has been drawn on the opposite half of the draw from her compatriot Wang Qiang.Svitolina’s first round opponent will be Bibiane Schoofs from the Netherlands and a win for the Ukrainian could set up a mouth-watering second-round encounter with wild card Eugenie Bouchard, if the Canadian makes it past her first round match-up against a qualifier.Second seed Martic will face a challenge when she takes on the talented young Chinese player, Xiyu Wang who won the junior Wimbledon title in 2018.Wang Qiang, fresh from her win over Serena Williams at the Australian Open will open her campaign against compatriot XInyu Han whilst fourth seed Zheng faces Serbia’s Natalija Kostic. Saturday’s opening day of the 2020 tournament featured round 1 of qualifying which opened with Great Britain’s Sarah-Beth Grey the first winner on the new pink GSB Centre Court 76(5) 64 over Thailand’s Nudnida Luangnam. There was better news for Thai fans later in the day when Peangtarn Plipuech overcame Japan’s Nagi Hanatani 36 60 63. The second and final round of qualifying takes place on Sunday, with the day’s six winners joining the 32-player Main Draw. GSB THAILAND OPEN PRESENTED BY E@ – HUA HIN, THAILAND $275,000 8-16 FEBRUARY 2020 RESULTS – FEBRUARY 08, 2020 Women’s Qualifying Singles – First Round Qualifying – [1] F. Xun (CHN) d Y. Zhang (CHN) 62 62 Qualifying – [2] C. Muramatsu (JPN) d [WC] M. Sawangkaew (THA) 36 60 63 Qualifying – [3] E. Liang (TPE) d P. Udvardy (HUN) 61 63 Qualifying – [4] U. Eikeri (NOR) d [WC] P. Kovapitukted (THA) 76(1) 61 Qualifying – [5] E. Perez (AUS) d [WC] K. Ng (HKG) 63 62 Qualifying – [6] P. Plipuech (THA) d N. Hanatani (JPN) 36 60 63 Qualifying – [7] L. Kung (SUI) d [WC] Y. Wisitwarapron (THA) 60 61 Qualifying – [8] S. Sanders (AUS) d M. Uchijima (JPN) 46 76(1) 75 Qualifying – L. Stefanini (ITA) d [9] E. Hozumi (JPN) 63 61 Qualifying – A. Amanmuradova (UZB) d [10] J. Namigata (JPN) 16 63 62 Qualifying – S. Grey (GBR) d [11] N. Luangnam (THA) 76(5) 64 Qualifying – [12] R. Bhatia (IND) d E. Silva (GBR) 61 46 62 ORDER OF PLAY – SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 09, 2020 GSB CENTRE COURT start 12:00 noon Qualifying – [5] E. Perez (AUS) vs [12] R. Bhatia (IND) Qualifying – [6] P. Plipuech (THA) vs [8] S. Sanders (AUS) Qualifying – [2] C. Muramatsu (JPN) vs L. Stefanini (ITA) COURT 2 start 12:00 noon Qualifying – [4] U. Eikeri (NOR) vs S. Grey (GBR) Qualifying – [1] F. Xun (CHN) vs [7] L. Kung (SUI) Qualifying – [3] E. Liang (TPE) vs A. Amanmuradova (UZB) ENDS Image: Peangtarn Plipuech – Credit – GSB Thailand Open presented by E@ |
