China Open Unveils Star-Studded Wildcard Lineup: ‘Strait Combination’ Duo Secures Coveted Women’s Doubles Spot
China Open Announces Wild Card List: “Strait Combination” Receives Women’s Doubles Wild Card
China News Service, Beijing, September 21 – The 2024 China Open has announced its wildcard list, with all eight women’s singles main draw wildcards awarded to Chinese players. The “Strait Combination” of Wang Xinyu and Hsieh Su-wei received women’s doubles main draw wildcards, while two Chinese “post-00s” rising stars, Shang Juncheng and Buyun Chaoket, received men’s singles main draw wildcards.
The wildcard list for the women’s singles main draw includes Zhang Shuai, Wang Qiang, Wei Sijia, Shi Han, Yao Xinxin, Gao Xinyu, Ren Yufei, and Wang Meiling. Both Zhang Shuai and Wang Qiang have achieved impressive results in the China Open, with Zhang Shuai defeating Safina, the world’s top-ranked player at the time, in 2009 and reaching the quarterfinals twice in 2016 and 2018. Wang Qiang also reached the semi-finals of the China Open in 2018, tying the best record of local players in the tournament created by Li Na.
The six wild cards in the women’s singles qualifying round were also awarded to Chinese players, including Feng Shuo, Guo Hanyu, Qu Yihan, Zhang Ruien, Wei Zhangqian, and Shao Yushan. The two women’s doubles wild cards went to Wang Xinyu/Hsieh Su-wei and Wang Xiyu/Wang Yafan. The “Strait Combination” of Wang Xinyu and Hsieh Su-wei won the French Open last year and entered the semi-finals of the US Open last year.
Shang Juncheng and Buyun Chaoket, two “post-00” rising stars, received wild cards for the men’s singles main draw. Shang Juncheng recently made it to the quarterfinals of the ATP 250 Chengdu Open and has risen to No. 66 in the world ranking, setting a new career high. Buyunchoket defeated the No. 2 seed, Russian star Khachanov, in the ATP250 Hangzhou Open and entered the quarterfinals of the tour for the first time in his career.
The 2024 China Open women’s singles qualifying round will be held on September 23 and 24, and the first round of the main competition will be held on September 25 and 26. Seeded players such as Zheng Qinwen and Sabalenka will have a bye in the first round and will make their debut on September 27 and 28. The men’s singles main competition will start on September 26.