Race to the Finals Update: Last remaining doubles spots still in play

With the GNP Seguros WTA Finals Cancun qualifiers set in singles, attention has shifted to the doubles qualification race into this year's season-ending championships.

Earlier on Monday, two more doubles teams secured qualification into Cancun. Desirae Krawczyk and Demi Schuurs qualified, along with Shuko Aoyama and Ena Shibahara.

There are now five teams qualified as they join Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula, Storm Hunter and Elise Mertens and Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova.

Five teams remain in contention for the final three spots in doubles. The three remaining spots currently belong to Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Ellen Perez at No.6, Leylah Fernandez and Taylor Townsend at No.7, and Laura Siegemund and Vera Zvonareva at No.8.

Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe and Hsieh Su-Wei and Wang Xinyu are currently on the outside looking in. With their opening-round win in Zhengzhou on Monday, Dabrowski/Routliffe move ahead of Hsieh/Wang, who are inactive this week. 

Already through to the Zhengzhou quarterfinals, Dabrowski/Routliffe are in the same half of the draw as Siegemund/Zvonareva, with a potential semifinal match-up looming should seedings hold. That would be a rematch of the US Open final, which was won by Dabrowski/Routliffe.

Scenarios This Week

Melichar-Martinez/Perez and Siegemund/Zvonareva can qualify this week, regardless of any other results, by reaching the Zhengzhou final. However, they also have a chance to secure qualification if other results fall in their favor.

Fernandez/Townsend, who are not playing this week, can qualify this week if Dabrowski/Routliffe do not reach the semifinals.

Dabrowski/Routliffe have a chance to move into the Top 8 this week, but success in Zhengzhou alone would not be enough to secure qualification with next week’s entries potentially playing a factor.

A key match to keep an eye on in Zhengzhou will be Dabrowski/Routlffe’s quarterfinal, as a loss would then secure qualification for Melichar-Martinez/Perez and Fernandez/Townsend.

It remains possible for the Race to the WTA Finals to continue to the final week of the season, depending upon entries to the remaining WTA 250 tournaments on the calendar at Cluj-Napoca, Monastir and Nanchang.