In a stacked event with most of the world’s top female tennis players competing, it comes as no surprise that no one has an easy path to winning the fifth edition of the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open.

After today’s draw ceremony, these are the projected quarterfinals:

Simona Halep (1) vs. Elina Svitolina (6)

Angelique Kerber (3) vs. Petra Kvitova (5)

Caroline Garcia (4) vs. Naomi Osaka (7)

Caroline Wozniacki (2) vs. Karolina Pliskova (8)

Simona Halep’s quarter: The world No. 1’s quarter is filled with players who are streaking on hard courts including Su-Wei Hsieh who’s come into form in Asia, having won the Japan Open and made the semis in Seoul this week; hard-hitting Aryna Sabalenka who went on a hard court tear prior to the US Open; and dangerous wild card Victoria Azarenka.

To make the quarters, Halep could potentially meet Dominika Cibulkova in Round 2. Now ranked world No. 30, Cibulkova nevertheless leads 4-2 in their head-to-head, with three of those wins coming on hard courts. Halep could then meet No. 13 seed Daria Kasatkina before possibly playing Svitolina, Azarenka (who retired with a thigh injury this week in Japan) or US Open quarterfinalist Carla Suarez Navarro in the quarters.

First round matches to watch:

No. 11 seed Julia Goerges vs. Victoria Azarenka (Round 1) with the winner possibly taking on Su-Wei Hsieh

Aryna Sabalenka vs. Carla Suarez Navarro (Round 1) with the winner taking on Svitolina

Angelique Kerber’s quarter:Kerber’s quarter features a handful of hard hitters including French Open and US Open semifinalist Madison Keys, last year’s Wuhan Open runner-up Ashleigh Barty, Cincinnati winner Kiki Bertens and US Open semifinalist Anastasija Sevastova.

After a first round bye, Kerber may immediately have to play American Madison Keys in a battle of puncher / counter-puncher. In the Round of 16, her opponent could be Australian Ashleigh Barty. The two have played three times in the last two years, with Barty coming out on top in their only meeting on Chinese soil. In the quarters, Petra Kvitova could await. The Czech’s year has quieted down after a stellar first half, but Kvitova usually gets hot again in the final part of the year, having won the Wuhan Open twice in the last four years. If this week’s Toray Pan Pacific Open semifinalist Camila Giorgi gets through her first round, however, Kvitova will have a battle on her hands, in a match between two of the streakiest and hardest hitting women in tennis.

First round matches to watch:

No. 16 Ashleigh Barty vs. Johanna Konta, Australia’s No. 1 vs. Britain’s No. 1

Pavlyuchenkova vs. Sevastova in the battle of the Anastasi(j)as

No. 12 Kiki Bertens vs. Belinda Bencic

Caroline Garcia’s quarter:This quarter might as well be a US Open champions reunion with this year’s winner Naomi Osaka, last year’s winner Sloane Stephens and 2011 champion Samantha Stosur all bunched up here. Reigning Wuhan Open champion Garcia will likely need to be on her A-game from the start as she potentially faces countrywoman Kristina Mladenovic in Round 2, possibly followed by two-time Grand Slam champion Garbine Muguruza. Her potential quarterfinal opponent, Naomi Osaka, doesn’t look to have it much easier, possibly having to face her two fellow US Open champions back-to-back.  

First round matches to watch:

Wild card Samantha Stosur vs. Chinese No. 1 Shuai Zhang

No. 14 Muguruza vs. Alison Van Uytvanck who won their last meeting at this year’s Wimbledon

Caroline Wozniacki’s quarter:Wozniacki’s path to the quarters looks the clearest of them all, but then again the world No. 2 likely won’t mind, having been bundled out of this week’s Toray Pan Pacific Open in the second round. The Dane opens with a bye, followed by a possible second round encounter with Timea Babos. Wozniacki could potentially face No. 15 Elise Mertens in the Round of 16, a rematch of their Australian Open semifinal earlier this year. Waiting in the quarters could be No. 8 seed Karolina Pliskova who is already in the Tokyo finals this week. In order for Petra Kvitova to make the quarters, the Czech might have to get by this week’s winner in Guangzhou, Qiang Wang, in the second round, followed by 2017 French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko in the Round of 16.

First round match to watch:

Soon-to-be China’s No. 1 Qiang Wang vs. 2017 Wuhan Open semifinalist Maria Sakkari