The business end is fast approaching at Victoria Park, with the quarterfinal roster set to be completed on Thursday at the WTA 250 Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open 2024.

Defending champion Leylah Fernandez will hope to march on, and Grand Slam champion Sofia Kenin is also still in contention. Who can join the Elite Eight at Causeway Bay?

Hong Kong: Scores | Order of Play | Draws

For Kenin, it's been a productive Asian swing, which was punctuated by a runner-up spot in Tokyo just prior to jetting to Hong Kong.

When on song, the 2020 Australian Open winner is a severe test for any player, and the American feels her game is gradually "clicking" once again.

Kenin advances past qualifier Yamaguchi to Hong Kong second round

“I set different goals for different parts of the season," said World No.88 Kenin. "Coming into Asia was definitely Top 100 and I didn’t really believe that I could. It felt impossible to pick up 400 points.

"This season hasn't been ideal, I'm happy I'm finishing it strong and trying to keep the momentum going for now, then I'll enjoy some time off.

“Hopefully next season, let’s say Top 50. Hopefully then I can be seeded at Slams, earlier in the year would be great. Maybe I'll have a bit more luck on my side."

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Kenin must navigate past France's Jessika Ponchet on Thursday to earn a quarter-final ticket.

"I practiced with her years ago…. It doesn’t mean anything," recalled Kenin. "We had lost opening round in the Australian Open, so it wasn’t the best practice from us. I’ll have to do some homework and watch, she’s playing so we’ll see."

Fernandez defeats Watson for first time to open Hong Kong title defense

Over to No.3 seed Fernandez, who is eager to prolong her title defense on Centre Court over the net from in-form Australian Kimberly Birrell on Thursday. Birrell soared into a maiden WTA final earlier this month in Osaka, Japan.

"It will be a super tough match. She's been having an excellent summer and fall, she's coming in with a lot of confidence and momentum," said Fernandez. "I just hope that I get to play some good tennis to put on a show for these fans.

"It would mean a lot to finish on a personal high note here, even though I have the Billie Jean King Cup Finals to come. This all motivates not only myself and the team for the pre-season and beyond into next year."

Opening the Centre Court action on Thursday, Dutchwoman Suzan Lamens will duel with No.8 seed Cristina Bucsa. All the way from qualifying, Lamens went on to edge Birrell in the Osaka silverware showdown to lift her first WTA title. Meanwhile, Bucsa made a confident start in the Hong Kong first round, posting a 6-3, 6-3 win over local wild card Cody Wong.

No.7 seed Varvara Gracheva and Anastasia Zakharova will meet in another second-round match on Thursday, with the winner to face No.2 seed Katie Boulter in the quarterfinals.