Zheng, Andreeva withdraw from Wuhan Open after Beijing final

New Delhi, October 12 (IANS) Zheng Qinwen and Mirra Andreeva have withdrawn from the Wuhan Open after contesting the China Open final in Beijing, with the former citing a right shoulder injury and the latter opting out because of a change in schedule.Zheng defeated Andreeva 7-5, 6-4 on Sunday to become the first Chinese player to win the China Open. The triumph also marked her maiden WTA 1000 title and her first singles crown since winning in Tokyo in 2024.However, the victory came at the end of a demanding run of matches for the Chinese star, who returned to competition after an injury layoff and subsequently featured at the US Open, the Billie Jean King Cup and the Beijing tournament.In a statement announcing her withdrawal, Zheng said the accumulated workload had left her physically fatigued."I'm very sorry to share that I will be withdrawing from this year's Wuhan Open," Zheng said, as quoted by WTA. "Wuhan is where my tennis dream began, and the Wuhan Open is also where I made my breakthrough at the WTA 1000 level. I have always looked forward to completing in front of my hometown fans."Since returning from injury, however, I have played a demanding stretch of tennis over the past months and a half, competing at the US Open, the Billie Jean King Cup and the China Open. My body is feeling very fatigued after this intense run of matches. I look forward to returning to the Wuhan Open next year and stepping on to the court in my best possible form."The withdrawals have prompted changes to the Wuhan singles draw. American teenager Iva Jovic, the next eligible seeded player to receive a bye, will take Andreeva’s place in the draw at Line 17 and move directly into the second round. Anna Bondar, entering as a lucky loser, will occupy Jovic’s original position and face Mia Pohankova on Monday.Zheng’s vacancy will be filled by lucky loser Camila Osorio, who is scheduled to play Ann Li in the opening round on Tuesday.The Beijing championship has significantly boosted Zheng’s ranking prospects after an impressive resurgence in recent months. Having stood at No. 160 in mid-June, she is projected to rise to No. 23 in the latest rankings following her quarter-final appearance at the US Open and her title-winning campaign in Beijing.The Chinese player has also won 13 of her last 14 tour-level matches since suffering a qualifying defeat in Toronto, underlining the consistency of her recent return to form. For Andreeva, the runner-up finish in Beijing was her fifth final of the 2026 season. The Russian has won three of those finals, lifting trophies in Adelaide, Linz and at Roland Garros, and is now set to turn her attention to the season-ending WTA Finals, scheduled to take place in Indian Wells in mid-November.