Karolina Pliskova qualifies for WTA Finals despite Kremlin Cup defeat

Karolina Pliskova has qualified for the WTA Finals in Singapore despite suffering a second-round loss at the Kremlin Cup in Moscow on Wednesday.

Holland’s Kiki Bertens’ hopes of advancing to next week’s finals were extinguish by her 6-3 4-6 6-3 loss to Belarus’ Aliaksandra Sasnovich.

And although Pliskova of the Czech Republic, the second seed, was beaten by Russia’s Vera Zvonareva 6-1 6-2, she was a beneficiary of Bertens’ loss. Elina Svitolina also progresses to Singapore, completing the line-up.

Third seed Sloane Stephens of the United States was beaten 6-3 6-2 by Ons Jabeur of Tunisia.

Fifth seed Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia, sixth seed Daria Kasatkina of Russia and eighth seed Anett Kontaveit of Estonia all won.

Great Britain’s Johanna Konta and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia were Wednesday’s other winners in Moscow.

Second seed Garbine Muguruza of Spain was knocked out of the Luxembourg Open following a 6-2 6-3 second-round loss to Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska.

Yastremska will next face Russia’s Margarita Gasparyan, who beat Dalila Jakupovic of Slovenia 6-4 6-0.

Third seed Carla Suarez Navarro is also out, falling to a 6-1 6-0 defeat to Eugenie Bouchard.

Canadian Bouchard will next face Germany’s Andrea Petkovic, who defeated fifth seed Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic 6-2 6-3.

Top seed Julia Goerges defeated Russia’s Anna Blinkova 6-1 6-4 and will next face sixth seed Donna Vekic of Croatia following her 2-6 6-1 7-5 comeback triumph over France’s Fiona Ferro.

Belarus’ Vera Lapko beat eighth seed Pauline Parmentier of France 7-5 6-2, while ninth seed Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium fell to a 6-1 6-3 loss to Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic.