Aryna Sabalenka defends Wuhan Open title as star of Coco Gauff and Zheng Qinwen

The Asian recovery shows no signs of slowing down yet, with the Wuhan Open set to host a second consecutive WTA 1000 event.

The event is back after a five-year absence and after winning the title in 2018 and 2019, Aryna Sabalenka is looking to complete an extended “threepeat” next week.

However, the Belarusian is not the only big name fighting for the title.

Coco Gauff comes into the tournament fresh having won her eighth career title at the China Open, with Jasmine Paolini, Jessica Pegula and Zheng Qinwen all in action.

Before it starts on Monday, we give our predictions for the tournament.

Sabalenka bounces back with Wuhan's 'Threepeat'

Sabalenka's participation in the China Open ended in disappointment: the number 2 in the world rankings lost to long-time nemesis Karolina Muchova in the quarterfinals.

That defeat means her bid to reclaim the world No. 1 ranking has been delayed for now, but she can – and should be able to – close the gap on Iga Swiatek this week.

The two-time Wuhan champions don't have the easiest draw; She could face 15th-seeded Donna Vekic in round three, Emma Navarro in the last eight and Gauff in the last four.

However, the fast-paced conditions in Wuhan suit her game well and she is still the title favorite despite her 15-match winning streak ending.

Since she still has a few days of rest after the game in Beijing, she should be well prepared for the title fight.

Gauff continues his resurgence

Beijing was a great success for Gauff, who demonstrated all her courage and determination in her quarter- and semi-final victories before delivering a confident, high-quality performance in the final.

It's been the perfect start to life under new coach Matt Daly and there's no reason to believe she won't continue her resurgence in Wuhan.

Like all top eight seeds, she has the advantage of an opener, meaning she has time to recover physically and mentally after her win at the China Open.

She has a good draw to begin with in Wuhan, although the court conditions and her return to form will likely stand her in good stead in potential clashes against No. 13 seed Marta Kostyuk and No. 8 seed Daria Kasatkina.

A semi-final appearance against Sabalenka could prove a stumbling block, although there is no reason why she cannot go deep into the tournament.

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Home star Qinwen shines

Qinwen starred on her way to the semi-finals in Beijing, although her semi-final loss to Muchova was a disappointment.

However, the number 5 seed is clearly in good form and has an advantage on home turf.

She finds herself in the bottom half of the draw, avoiding the likes of Sabalenka and Gauff, and likely quarterfinal opponent Jasmine Paolini has not been in her French Open and Wimbledon form in recent weeks.

The Chinese could face Muchova or 12th seed Diana Shnaider in round three, but her aggressive play should thrive on the faster courts in Wuhan.

With several batsmen far away from her in the draw, we wouldn't be surprised to see the 21-year-old reach her first WTA 1000 final.

Can Pegula get back on her feet?

After a hugely successful summer, world number 3 Pegula wasn't at her best in Beijing – she was badly beaten by Paula Badosa in the fourth round in Beijing.

The American should also benefit from the faster conditions in Wuhan, but there is a potential stumbling block for her.

Pegula could face 14th seed Badosa again, this time in round three, and it will be interesting to see what the US Open runner-up has learned from her heavy defeat at the China Open.

We expect the American to bounce back and get revenge on her Spanish rival, with a potential blockbuster semi-final against Qinwen.

Read on: WTA China Open winners and losers – Coco Gauff and Karolina Muchova make gains, but Aryna Sabalenka stumbles in the ranking search