Konta Reaches Final at China Open, Climbs into RTS Top 8

Johanna Konta made a run to the final at the China Open with wins over Karolina Pliskova and Madison Keys. By finishing as runner-up in Beijing, Konta jumps from No.11 to No.8 on the Road to Singapore Leaderboard. Entering this week, Konta holds a 10 point lead over No.9 Dominika Cibulkova.

Setting The Stage

Five players have already qualified for the WTA Finals – Angelique Kerber, Serena Williams, Agnieszka Radwanska, Simona Halep and Karolina Pliskova – meaning three spots remain up for grabs as we enter the final two weeks of the season.

Eight of the Top 11 in RTS – including all six contending for the final three spots – are in action this week across three events – Hong Kong, Tianjin and Linz. Here is a round-by-round look at how this week will affect the WTA Finals qualification:

Next week, Cibulkova and Suarez Navarro are the only players entered into Moscow as direct entries. Anyone else would need a wildcard in order to play.

Who is Next to Qualify?

Muguruza is next in line to qualify, but as things currently stand, she will need to reach the final in order to secure qualification this week. A title in Linz would secure qualification for Muguruza, but she can also qualify by reaching the final with either Cibulkova not winning the title or Keys losing in the first round.

At this point, that is the only certain qualification that can be formulated. A combination of results could trigger an earlier qualification for Muguruza, and possibly others, so we will need to stay tuned, paying close attention to the daily orders of play at all three events this week.