WUHAN, September 26, 2017 (Press Release)

Shuai Peng scored a stunning home win in Wuhan on Monday to knock out defending Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open champion Petra Kvitova and send a buzz of excitement around the Optics Valley Tennis Centre.

Peng’s 7-6(6), 6-7(5), 76(3) win was the longest WTA Tour match of the 2017 season so far at three hours and 34 minutes and means she joined Qiang Wang and Shuai Zhang to make it three Chinese woman in the second round of the $266,000 WTA Premier 5 tournament in central China. All three play on Tuesday in a line-up that is sure to prove popular with local tennis fans.

Earlier in the day, Peng’s countrywoman Wang brought newly-crowned Sloane Stephens back to earth by beating her 6-2, 6-2 in what was the American’s first match since winning her debut Grand Slam title earlier this month.

Zhang joined Wang in the second round, much to the delight of the ecstatic home crowd, thanks to a hard-fought 7-5, 5-7, 6-1 victory which set up a mouth-watering second round clash on Tuesday against former World No.1 Karolina Pliskova.

Madison Keys, who was runner up to Stephens in New York, also suffered an upset loss when she was beaten 62, 76(4) by qualifier Varvara Lepchenko in their first round match.

In what was a busy day in Wuhan, France’s Caroline Garcia knocked out former World No.1 Angelique Kerber 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 and young Australian Ashleigh Barty knocked out fifth seed Johanna Konta in a three-set battle 6-0, 4-6, 7-6(3). Barty’s victory dealt a blow to Konta’s hopes of securing qualification for the WTA Finals in Singapore.

Tuesday is likely to deliver another day of electric tennis at the Optics Valley Tennis Centre. As well as Peng, Zhang and Wang in action, much attention will be on newly-crowned World No.1 Garbine Muguruza and in-form Caroline Wozniacki, who comes to Wuhan fresh from her title win at the Toray Pan Pacific in Toyko. Ninth seed Agnieszka Radwanska, sixth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova, 2016 Wuhan Open runner-up Dominika Cibulkova and reigning French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko will all also be in second round action.