Will Muguruza hang on to the No. 1 ranking? Can Sharapova find some momentum? Five burning questions entering the WTA Asian swing

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  • At the helm: Garbine Muguruza.

    The WTA’s Asian swing kicks off in earnest on Monday with action taking place in Tokyo (Premier), Seoul (International) and Guangzhou (International).

    A marquee line-up will feature at the Toray PPO Tennis event, with five top-10 players — Garbine Muguruza, Karolina Pliskova, defending champion Caroline Wozniacki, Johanna Konta and Dominika Cibulkova — all taking part.

    French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko is the top seed in Seoul while top Arab Ons Jabeur is in the Guangzhou main draw.

    Muguruza is the only player to seal qualification for the WTA Finals so far which means the battle for the remaining eight spots will heat up in the upcoming weeks.

    Here’s a look at the main talking points as we head into the final strength of the season…

    Who will end the year as No. 1?

    Muguruza replaced Pliskova at the top of the world rankings after the conclusion of the US Open — a tournament which started with eight different players with a mathematical chance of claiming the No. 1 spot.

    The Spaniard is just a mere 65 points ahead of Simona Halep in the rankings though and the fight for the year-end No. 1 ranking will feature prominently in the next few weeks.

    The top four players — Muguruza, Halep, Elina Svitolina and Pliskova — have just 510 points separating them. Every point scored during these final two months of the season can make all the difference for the leading pack. Smart scheduling and injury management will prove key in the upcoming period.

    Will Ostapenko make Singapore?

    Fire power: Jelena Ostapenko.

    Firepower: Jelena Ostapenko.

    The reigning Roland Garros champion is currently clinging onto the No. 8 spot in the Porsche Race to Singapore leaderboard.

    Just last year when Muguruza sealed her Singapore spot fairly late in the season (she was the sixth player to qualify, secured her place on October 13, 2016), despite her winning the French Open earlier in the year, there is a risk in 2017 that a Grand Slam title holder might miss the WTA Finals.

    Ostapenko did well by reaching the Wimbledon quarter-finals following her Roland Garros exploits but has since gone 2-3 in matches. She needs a strong finish to make Singapore.

    Can Sharapova build on her US Open run?

    Coming back: Maria Sharapova.
    The Russian ex-world No. 1 has struggled with physical problems since her return from a doping ban last April, but finally found some momentum at the US Open, where she made the fourth round before falling to Anastasija Sevastova.

    It wasn’t the first time Sharapova had won three matches in a row since her return — she reached the semis in Stuttgart in her first week back — but she claimed far more convincing victories in New York, taking out Halep in a three-set thriller in the opening round.

    So far, the Russian has received two wildcards for the Asian swing, in Beijing and Tianjin, where a combined total of 1,280 points are on offer.

    She could potentially get more invites. Sharapova is currently No. 103 in the world and would need a few wins to boost her ranking ahead of the 2018 season, where she will surely want to guarantee her place in the main draw of the Australian Open via direct entry rather than waiting for another wildcard.

    Will Venus keep rising?

    The 37-year-old legend has had a tremendous Grand Slam season in 2017, making the finals of the Australian Open and Wimbledon, the semis at the US Open and the last 16 at Roland Garros. Positioned nicely at No. 5 in the Race to Singapore, Venus Williams has the chance to qualify for her first WTA Finals since 2009. She went there as an alternate last year but has a real shot at a top-eight finish this time around.

    Can Kerber salvage her season?

    This time last year, Angelique Kerber was ranked No. 1 in the world and was holding two Grand Slam titles. Today, she is No. 14 in the world, No. 18 in the race and has won just one match post-Wimbledon. Finishing the season with a few solid wins can help the German regain some confidence and start 2018 in a better position. Will she be able to capitalise on Asia?

    She has a rematch with Naomi Osaka in her opener in Tokyo. Osaka beat Kerber in the first round of the US Open. Revenge could be the pick-me-up Kerber needs at the moment.

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