The WTA1000 Dubai draw is set, and Zheng Qinwen has a strong chance to make the semifinals.

The draw has been finalized, as shown in the image below, with Zheng Qinwen positioned in sections 3/4 alongside Pegula and Andreescu.

1. First round: Zheng Qinwen will compete against a qualifier, which she is expected to win.
2. Second round: Zheng will face the winner of Kenin vs. Townsend, most likelyTownsend, who is seeded 12th.
3. Third round: Zheng Qinwen will meet the winner of Aleksandrova vs. Sun Lulu,most probably Aleksandrova, the 8th seed.
4. Fourth round: Zheng will play against the winner between Pegula and Jovic.
5. Fifth round: Zheng Qinwen will face the winner of Anisimova vs. Andreescu.
6. Sixth round: Zheng will compete against the winner of Rybakina vs. Gauff.

Event Preview

1. First, praise to Zheng Qinwen for sacrificing her Chinese New Year break to participate in the tournament. She needs to earn points quickly to boost her ranking into the top ten. Wang Xinyu withdrew, likely to return home for the holiday!
2. At last year’s Dubai event, she was eliminated in the first round. This year, we hope she can reach at least the semifinals or at minimum the quarterfinals to gain more ranking points.
3. Zheng Qinwen’s path forward looks fairly smooth: in the round of 32, she faces a qualifier; in the round of 16, likely Townsend or Kenin; in the quarterfinals, probably Aleksandrova; and in the semifinals, Pegula. Reaching the quarterfinals and earning more points should be well within reach.
4. Looking forward to Zheng Qinwen’s continued improvement and strong performance!