Routliffe Likely To Play Against Former Partner Asia Muhammad At China Open

New Zealand’s Erin Routliffe could face a familiar opponent in the second round of the China Open doubles tournament, as she may meet her good friend and former doubles partner, Asia Muhammad.

Routliffe, currently ranked world No. 2 in doubles, recently clinched her first WTA 1000 title alongside Muhammad in Cincinnati last month. However, for the China Open, Routliffe has reunited with her regular partner, Gaby Dabrowski. The pair, who have enjoyed significant success this season, are the top seeds for the event.

Meanwhile, Asia Muhammad has teamed up with fellow American and US Open singles finalist Jessica Pegula. Should both pairs advance past their first-round matches, Routliffe and Muhammad could find themselves on opposite sides of the net.

First, however, Routliffe and Dabrowski must navigate a tricky opening-round match against the Su-Wei Hsieh and Xinyu Wang. While the pair are unseeded, Hsieh is currently ranked No. 7 in doubles, while with Wang is likely to benefit from home-court support. Muhammad and Pegula will also face a challenging first-round match against Tereza Mihalikova and Olivia Nicholls.

A potential match-up with Muhammad could be a key test for Routliffe, as she aims to secure her second WTA 1000 title of the year.

The first round match between Routliffe/Dabrowski and Hsieh/Wang is scheduled for 3pm Friday (New Zealand time.)