WTA Preview: Serena, 8 of Top 10 at Beijing

CHINA OPEN
Beijing, China; Surface: hard

Seeds: Serena Williams, Victoria Azarenka, Agnieszka Radwanska, Li Na, Sara Errani, Caroline Wozniacki, Angelique Kerber, Jelena Jankovic, Petra Kvitova, Roberta Vinci, Sloane Stephens, Carla Suarez Navarro, Sabine Lisicki, Ana Ivanovic, Samantha Stosur, Simona Halep
ADHEREL
Floaters: Venus Williams, Flavia Pennetta, Madison Keys, Kirsten Flipkens, Daniela Hantuchova, Andrea Petkovic, Svetlana Kuznetsova

Notes: Eight of the Top 10 take to the court in Beijing, with play starting on Saturday…Six current or former No. 1s in the field…Tough starts go to (3) Radwanska vs. Keys 2nd rd., (14) Ivanovic vs. Pennetta, (2) Azarenka vs. Petkovic (winner to likely face former world No. 2 Kuznetsova), (5) Errani vs. Flipkens, (13) Lisicki vs. V.Williams likely 2nd rd., and (4) Li vs. Hantuchova…Wildcards went to Francesca Schiavone, Venus Williams, and China’s Zhang Shuai and Zheng Jie…Pulling from the event were Martina Hingis (from doubles citing personal reasons) Marion Bartoli (retirement), Jamie Hampton (left ankle), Ekaterina Makarova, Romina Oprandi, Nadia Petrova (left hip), and Maria Sharapova (right shoulder)…The Williams sisters took a doubles wildcard…Former champs in the field are Azarenka (2012), Radwanska (2011), Wozniacki (2010), Kuznetsova (2009,’06), Jankovic (2008), Maria Kirilenko (2005), and Serena Williams (2004)…No player has ever won back-to-back singles titles in Beijing.