Qiang Wang well worth a wager to dominate Elite field

WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai
BT Sport 1, from 6am Tuesday
ATP Paris Masters
Sky Sports Arena, from 10am Tuesday

After the delights of Singapore, it's north to China for the year-ending championship for the WTA's second echelon, the Elite Trophy Zhuhai.

With an early start to proceed­ings, outright punters will have to look sharp but it would not be a surprise to see a couple of the six market leaders come to the fore in Guangdong province.

Aryna Sabalenka, the favourite, may well bludgeon her way to victory after her stunning second half of 2018.

The Belarusian, 20, is showing little sign of slowing up after a run that has taken in a run to the Eastbourne final in June and title triumphs in New Haven in August and Wuhan last month. She looks a threat to anyone on the WTA Tour these days and is a deserving market leader.

Sabalenka is definitely an option, but with home support it could be worth chancing another fast-improving sort in Qiang Wang instead.

The Chinese number one has been performing like a future Grand Slam winner in recent months and if she was to get up a head of steam in Zhuhai, Wang may take a lot of stopping.

She's in the Azalea group along with Daria Kasatkina and Madison Keys. Kasatkina, the tournament's top seed, may be a little flattered after her recent Kremlin Cup triumph – she had been toiling in the months before visiting her home capital of Moscow – while Keys is another who has not been in the best of nick of late.

There's always the chance that Keys could bounce back to form, but it has been a long campaign for the American and Qiang can be chanced against her.

Sabalenka may now be up to dealing with Caroline Garcia and Ashleigh Barty in the Orchid group, while defending champion Julia Goerges looks like having to work hard from the outset in the Rose section.

Former world number one Garbine Muguruza, more used to sparring with the top players in Singapore in recent seasons, is the biggest name in the field. But the Spaniard doesn't always produce the goods on faster courts and her focus has been lacking a little this season.

It's day two of the Paris Masters and with Milos Raonic having been less effective than may have been expected this season, a punt on French legend Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who performed with credit in Antwerp recently soon after returning from a long injury lay-off, may be prudent.

Recommendations
Qiang Wang to win Elite Trophy Zhuhai
1pt 8-1 Betfred
J-W Tsonga
1pt 11-10 general

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