Tokyo, Japan) – The two Brazilians who face each other in the doubles draw of the WTA 500 in Tokyo will make their first matches in the early hours of this Wednesday. Luísa Stefani will play her first match with her new partner, the Japanese Ena Shibahara, while Beatriz Haddad Maia repeats the duet with the Chinese Shuai Zhang, her partner in the title on grass in Nottingham.

Stefani and Shibahara play from 0:30 a.m. (Brasília time) against Canadian Gabriela Dabrowski and Mexican Giuliana Olmos, seeded 2 in the tournament. Interestingly, Dabrowski was Stefani’s partner last season, until she suffered a serious knee ligament injury, and was also alongside São Paulo when they returned to the courts victoriously last week at Chennai.

Bia Haddad Maia and Shuai Zhang could star in the sequel soon. They will face Mexican Fernanda Contreras Gomez and Greek Despina Papamichail. But since the Chinese and Greeks also have singles matches on the same day, there may be a delay in the start of the match. The winners face in the quarter-finals the Belgian Elise Mertens and the Russian Veronika Kudermetova, main seeds.

The singles round starts at 11 p.m. on Tuesday
Five games are scheduled at the main stadium from 11 p.m. on Tuesday. Starting with the debut of the Spaniard Garbiñe Muguruza, against the Greek from the quali Despina Papamichail. Shortly after, the French Caroline Garcia, second favorite, faces the Chinese Shuai Zhang.

Coming from a difficult final in Portoroz, the Kazakh Elena Rybakina plays late in the first round. She faces the Russian Liudmila Samsonova. then the main favorite Paula Badosa will be challenged by 19-year-old Chinese Qinwen Zheng. In the final match of the round, Belgium’s Elise Mertens takes on North American Claire Liu.

Check the program for the day in Tokyo.

Main Stadium – 11 p.m.
[Q]Despina Papamichail (GRE) against. [3]Garbine Muguruza (ESP)
Shuai Zhang (CHN) against. [2]Caroline Garcia (FRA)
[8][C]Elena Rybakina (CAZ) against. Lyudmila Samsonova
[1]Paula Badosa (ESP) against. Qinwen Zheng (CHN)
Elise Mertens (BEL) against. Claire Liu (USA)

Show Court – 12:30 p.m.
Ena Shibahara (JPN)/Luísa Stefani (BRA) against. [2]Gabriela Dabrowski (CAN)/Giuliana Olmos (MEX)
Beatriz Haddad Maia (BRA)/Shuai Zhang (CHN) against. Fernanda Contreras Gomez (MEX)/Despina Papamichail (GRE)