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WUHAN, China, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- The Wuhan Open draw is out on Friday. With world No. 1 Angelique Kerber has a relatively easy match-ups in top half, world No. 3 Garbine Muguruza faces tough challenges in the bottom half. World No. 2 Serena Williams will sit out of the tournament due to lingering right shoulder injury.
Top Half: No.1 Angelique Kerber, No. 4 Sinoma Halep, No. 7 Carla Suarez Novarro, No. 8 Madison Keys
Bottom Half: No.2 Garbine Muguruza, No. 3 Agnleszka Radwanska, No. 5 Karolina Pliskova, No. 6 Venus Williams
Potential Quarterfinals: Angelique Kerber vs. Carla Suarez Navarro, Simona Halep vs. Madison Keys, Venus Williams vs. Agnieszka Radwanska, Karolina Pliskova vs. Garbine Muguruza.
In the top half, the newly-crowned US Open champion Kerber of Germany can pogress to the round of 16 with ease until she possibly meet the Czech player Petra Kvitova, seeded 14th, the 2014 Wuhan Open champion. Then Kerber can face up the Spaniard Navarro next if she can move through Kvitova. Halep, seeded fourth, can be considered as a candidate for the other semifinal place in the half. The main opponent for her on the road is eight-seeded Keys.
In her first event since lifting the US Open and usurping Serena Williams as World No. 1, Kerber is the recipient of a first-round bye, meeting the winner of Kristina Mladenovic against CoCo Vandeweghe in her opening match. Kvitova is projected to meet her in the third round, with potential showdowns versus Navarro and Halep further down the line.
The bottom half is much tougher for a couple of players can be the semifinalists.
Defending champion Venus Williams faces a slightly less threatening start. Her opening opponent will be either Anastasija Sevastova or Yulia Putintseva, while Svetlana Kuznetsova and Agnieszka Radwanska are likely to lie in wait should she clear the early hurdles.
Serena Williams' late withdrawal promoted Muguruza, last year's runner-up, to No. 2 seed, and she will begin against either Daria Gavrilova or former World No.1 Jelena Jankovic.
Pliskova can be someone to produce surprise as the Czech ousted both Williams sisters in US Open including stunning Serena out in the semifinals.
Another former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark just ended qualifier Magda Linette's run at the Toray Pan Pacific Open with a straight-set win in Friday's quarterfinal.
The Danish had reached the US Open semifinals and overcame Navarro in the previous round of the tournament in Tokyo. She can be anyone's headache in Wuhan Open and Radwanska will probably be the first top seeded one to encounter Wozniacki in the third round.
