Jasmine Paolini has a path to another strong performance at a WTA 1000 event in China.
Paolini just reached the quarterfinals at the WTA 1000 China Open to continue her solid post-US Open record. And she has the easiest draw among the top players for the Donfeng-Voyah Wuhan Open, based on the average world ranking of likely opponents.
Paolini is the No. 7 seed for the 56-player WTA 1000 event scheduled to start Oct. 6. Paolini gets a bye to the round of 32. Her first match will be against a qualifier or world No. 58 Yue Yuan – the most favorable opening-match draw among the eight players who received first-round byes. Paolini is in the bottom half of the draw, safely away from top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka, the event’s reigning champion.
Who got the easiest and toughest draws for the WTA 1000 Wuhan Open?
Toughest draw for a top seed
No. 8 seed Elena Rybakina has some solid results on hard courts, but she will be challenged from the outset. She does get a first-round bye. However, her first match likely will be against No. 39 McCartney Kessler, one of the tougher pairings for a player with a first-round bye.
If Rybakina gets past her first match, she likely will face Linda Noskova, who is in top form after reaching the China Open final, or a resurgent Naomi Osaka.
Toughest draw overall
Everything you just read about Elena Rybakina’s draw is even worse for Leylah Fernandez, the world No. 25. Fernandez could have to get through Osaka, Noskova, and Rybakina in her first three matches. Her reward if she gets through that gauntlet? Probably a matchup against Sabalenka in the quarterfinals.
Best opportunity for an unseeded player
Australian teen Maya Joint is already up to No. 36 in the world, and she has an opportunity for another impressive result. Joint drew Lin Zhu, who is currently ranked No. 253 in the world, in the first round. Joint’s next match would be against No. 15 seed Diana Shnaider, who did win an August event in Mexico, but otherwise is 2-6 since the start of the summer.