As the WTA 1000 tournament in Wuhan begins, two Polish tennis stars, Magda Linette and Magdalena Fręch, are ready to face tough competition in the opening rounds. Linette will take on 15th-seeded Russian Ludmilla Samsonova, while Fręch is up against Japanese qualifier Mai Hontama. Iga Świątek, the current world No. 1, has withdrawn from the event following a recent change in her coaching team.
Fręch to Face Hontama
Magdalena Fręch, ranked 69th in the world, will meet Japan’s Mai Hontama in her first-round match. Hontama, ranked 116th, reached the main draw by defeating Chinese player Xiaodi You and Romania’s Ana Bogdan in the qualifiers. This will be an important opportunity for Fręch, who could face American Emma Navarro in the second round if she wins. Fręch is also competing in doubles, teaming up with Bulgarian Viktoriya Tomova to play against Chinese duo Yafan Wang and Yifan Xu.
Linette’s Tough Challenge Against Samsonova
Magda Linette, ranked 45th, will start her tournament four hours earlier than Fręch. She faces a challenging match against Ludmilla Samsonova, who has won all three of their previous encounters, including this year’s French Open and Cincinnati Open. Should Linette pull off an upset, she will go up against Britain’s Katie Boulter in the next round.
Świątek Withdraws from Wuhan
Iga Świątek, who recently split with her coach Tomasz Wiktorowski, announced that she will not participate in the Wuhan tournament. In a statement, Świątek expressed her regret over missing the event but emphasized the need for some personal time following the change in her team. The Polish star remains focused on her preparations for future competitions.
