HUA HIN, Thailand - World No.15 Petra Martic and former Wimbledon finalist Eugenie Bouchard have received wildcards for next week's GSB Thailand Open presented by EA, the tournament has announced.
Martic enjoyed a career-best season in 2019, winning her maiden title in Istanbul and making her debut in both a Grand Slam quarterfinal at Roland Garros and in a Premier final in Zhengzhou. As a result, the Croat cracked the Top 20 for the first time - but after second-round exits in both Auckland and the Australian Open, is still seeking to kickstart her 2020 to similar heights. Former World No.5 Bouchard, meanwhile, endured a 13-match losing streak in 2019 and has sunk to World No.267 - but snapped out of it thanks to a third-round showing in November's Houston 125K followed by a run to the Auckland quarterfinals last month, which included a win over former World No.4 Caroline Garcia.
More players hitting the practice courts in #Huahin Petra Martic and Yafan Wang side by side #huahin #thailandopen #gopink pic.twitter.com/NXmtzSqeay
— WTA Thailand Open (@ThailandOpenHH) February 5, 2020
Martic said: "I've heard great things about the tournament and the city itself, and I can't wait to get there." Bouchard was similarly enthusiastic, saying: "I'm so happy that I’m coming to Hua Hin to play at the GSB Thailand Open presented by EA. I'm so excited because I've never been to Thailand and I want to play in front of all my Thai friends."
The third main draw wildcard was awarded to 25-year-old World No.811 Patcharin Cheapchandej, the winner of the Road to Thailand tournament for local talent. Cheapchandej, who is coming off a quarterfinal run at the Nonthaburi ITF W25 - where she took rising teenager Wang Xinyu to three sets - will be making her WTA main draw debut. Road to Thailand runner-up and World No.551 Mananchaya Sawangkaew has received a qualifying wildcard. The 17-year-old Sawangkaew is a former junior World No.14 who scored her maiden Top 200 victory over Jurmala finalist Katarzyna Kawa in the Nonthaburi ITF W25 last month.
In addition, Thailand's most successful female player, former World No.19 Tamarine Tanasugarn, has been awarded a doubles wildcard. The players will play on innovative pink courts symbolizing the fight against breast cancer and all ticket revenue from the event will be donated to the Queen Sirikit Centre Breast Cancer Foundation.