Indian Wells: China’s Zhang Shuai and Zheng Saisai face tough doubles draws
- China No 1 Zhang Shuai and India’s Sania Mirza face third seeds Shuka Aoyama and Ena Shibahara of Japan
- Zheng Saisai and Britain’s Heather Watson handed fourth seeds Alexa Guarachi and Desirae Krawczyk as Race to WTA Finals heats up
China No 1 Zhang Shuai and her partner Sania Mirza face a tough test in the women’s doubles at Indian Wells after being drawn against third seeds Shuka Aoyama and Ena Shibahara in the first round.
The Japanese duo have already qualified for the WTA Finals in Mexico next month, as have the Czech top seeds Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova.
Only the top eight doubles duos will be invited to Guadalajara, with Zhang in the mix after winning the US Open with Australia’s Samantha Stosur. The duo sit in fourth place on the standings going into Indian Wells.
Zhang has partnered India’s Mirza since the US Open, with the pair winning the Ostrava Open in the Czech Republic last month.
Zheng Saisai, China’s only other player in IndianWells and Britain’s Heather Watson will play fourth seeds Alexa Guarachi of Chile and Desirae Krawczyk of the US.
Guarachi and Krawczyk are seventh of the top eight pairs but could leap up the standings with a solid performance in California.
