Homegrown hopes are riding high

Since the retirement of two-time Grand Slam champion Li Na, China has awaited its next great female tennis player.

World No 40 Zhang Shuai and No 41 Wang Qiang are the latest hopefuls.

Both will compete in the upcoming WTA Premier 5 Wuhan Open, with 29-year-old Zhang entered in the main draw and 26-year-old Wang playing on a wild card.

Their head-to-head duel was a highlight of last month's Asian Games, with Wang winning the gold medal in what has been her breakthrough season.

Wang beat multiple Grand Slam winner Venus Williams at the French Open in June before being knocked out in the third round, then won the Jiangxi Open in July before making it to the third round at the US Open earlier this month.

"To play the best tournaments in China is always a dream," said Wang.

"Wuhan is one of my favorite tournaments. Having the home crowd behind you is an amazing feeling, so I'm grateful for the opportunity."

Meanwhile, Wang is no stranger to the pressure of playing at Wuhan after stunning 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens in the opening round last year before being knocked out in the third.

Another local hopeful, world No 70 Zheng Saisai, will also being playing on a wild card.

"I'm so glad to receive a wild card entry from the organizer because the Wuhan Open is one of my favorite tournaments," said Zheng.

"It's a very different experience competing against the world's best players in a Premier 5 event under the watch of all Chinese fans. I know that we will have some very strong opponents and some really tough games."

The 24-year-old Zheng, who qualified for Wuhan in 2015 and 2016, showed her potential when she broke through the first round of this year's Wimbledon but lost to world No 1 Simona Halep in the second.

No 76 Wang Yafan, who will play in the qualifying round, rounds out the homegrown contingent at the Wuhan Open, which has never had a Chinese champion.