Post USO Blues

WTA Zhengzhou, Hiroshima, Nanchang; Davis Cup

So the ladies start The Asian Swing while the gents have a Davis (Pique?) Cup weekend.
It'll be a relatively slow week as far as top names, some resting after going deep at the USO, some healing injuries or ego bruises after a quick exit from Flushing Meadows. As I hate and don't get the new Davis Cup I'm gonna start with the WTA and give the DC the weakest treatment possible.

WTA has a Premier and two Internationals this week.

Zhengzhou Open

This is not a banana

It's the inaugural edition of this Premier (worth 470 points) and it has a pretty stacked field. Kerber just took a WC after Halep announced her withdrawal (ahem... ankle injury...), and from the top 10 we also get Pliskova, Svitolina and Bertens. The top 4 seeds (add Sabalenka to the other three) have byes. The other 4 seeds (in a draw of 28) are Kerber, Kenin, Martic, Garcia. Other notable names: Ostapenko, Putintseva, Tomljanovic, Cornet.

Draw
Doubles Draw
OOP

And the winner is Karolina Pliskova, runner-up Petra Martic (plushie elephants and happiness abound)

Hana-cupid Japan Women's Open, Hiroshima

The Peace Flame

This is an International worth 280 points. As you can imagine the field quality drops a bit. 32 players draw with 8th seed being #90. Seeds are Hsieh, Kudermetova, AVU, Potapova, Maria (not that one), Diyas, SST, Siegemund. Also in here Flipkens, Buzarnescu, Cirstea.

Draw
Doubles Draw
OOP

And the winner is Nao Hibino, runner-up Misaki Doi (no laurels)

Jiangxi Open, Nanchang 

Nightlife

Another International. A lot of Chinese ladies show up, as you can guess. Quality not much better than in Japan: last seed is #86. The eight seeds are: Zhang, Wang Y., Linette, Rybakina, Peterson, Golubic, Kozlova, Pliskova the Lesser. Other interesting names: Krunic, Niculescu, Stosur and another Wang (X.).

Draw
Doubles Draw
OOP

And the winner is: Rebecca Peterson (1st WTA title for her!)

Onto the men.

Davis Cup, Group I Zonal Stuff

I do not care one bit about these so here's a nice link:

Juicy info