SHENZHEN, December 3, 2019

It was a frustrating day at the Shenzhen Longgang Sports Centre as unfavourable weather conditions resulted in the suspension of two singles quarterfinal matches and the postponement of all other matches slated for today.

The all-Russian clash between qualifier Veronika Kudermetova and wild card Vera Zvonareva started at 2.45pm after a three hour and forty minute delay, but was interrupted several times by rain before the first set finished 6-4 in favour of the world No.133 Kudermetova after 70 minutes of play.

The players were on standby throughout the day until 6pm, when matches were officially called off.

The remainder of the encounter will be contested in tomorrow’s second match slated for Centre Court, following the highly anticipated quarterfinal clash between top seed Aryna Sabalenka and Maria Sharapova, which is scheduled to commence tomorrow at 1pm.

American Alison Riske and Sorana Cirstea took to Court 1 at 3.30pm but could not only complete two games, both won by the Romanian, in 35 minutes of play. Riske and Cirstea will resume their battle in tomorrow’s second match slated for Court 1.

The remaining singles quarterfinal between Romanian qualifier Monica Niculescu and the lone Chinese singles player left in the main draw, Wang Yafan, will be tomorrow’s closing match on Centre Court.

The doubles semifinal match between Japanese-Ukrainian tandem Nao Hibino and Anhelina Kalinina and Chinese-Czech pair Duan Yingying and Renata Voracova will kick things off on Court 1 at 1pm.

The other doubles semifinal match between Swiss-Russian duo Timea Bacsinszky and Zvonareva against second seeded Chinese pair Peng Shuai and Yang Zhaoxuan will be played after suitable rest for Zvonareva.

Bacsinszky and Zvonareva had received a walkover into the last four after Russian alternate pair Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Natalia Vikhlyantseva withdrew from the tournament, citing a right forearm injury to the latter.

There will be free admission to the Court 1 tomorrow.