Wuhan 2018: Final countdown
MATCH POINTS
The final between Aryna Sabalenka and Anett Kontaveit will be the first time the pair have played each other, and the second all-unseeded final in Wuhan following Caroline Garcia's defeat of Ashleigh Barty last year.
Both players will be bidding for their second career title; previously, Kontaveit lifted the trophy in 's-Hertogenbosch last year, while Sabalenka was New Haven champion this August. It is the fourth career final for Kontaveit, who was also runner-up in Biel/Bienne and Gstaad last year, and fifth for Sabalenka, the finalist in Tianjin last year and Lugano and Eastbourne this year.
Kontaveit is seeking to win the biggest ever title for Estonia in the country's history. Currently, those are Kaia Kanepi's two Premier trophies at Brisbane 2012 and Brussels 2013.
Both players are guaranteed a new career high ranking next week. Kontaveit will land at World No.21 regardless of the final result; Sabalenka would be the World No.17 with a loss and World No.16 with a title.
20-year-old Sabalenka would become the youngest player to hold a title at Premier 5 level or above if she takes the title - currently Indian Wells and US Open champion Naomi Osaka. Only two players younger then Sabalenka have won WTA titles to date: 2017 Biel/Bienne champion Marketa Vondrousova and 2018 Moscow River Cup champion Olga Danilovic.
Both players have dropped two sets each en route to the final: Sabalenka to Carla Suárez Navarro in the first round and Elina Svitolina in the second, and Kontaveit to Sloane Stephens in the first round and Zhang Shuai in the third.
If Elise Mertens and Demi Schuurs win the doubles title over Andrea Sestini Hlavackova and Barbora Strycova, whom they previously defeated 6-2, 7-6(5) in the first round of Eastbourne this year, the Belgian-Dutch duo will seal their maiden appearance at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.
ORDER OF PLAY
CENTRE COURT (starts 4.30pm)
Elise MERTENS (BEL) / Demi SCHUURS (NED) [6] vs Andrea SESTINI HLAVACKOVA (CZE) / Barbora STRYCOVA (CZE) [2]
Not before 7pm
Aryna SABALENKA (BLR) vs Anett KONTAVEIT (EST)
