MATCH POINTS

2011 US Open champion Samantha Stosur and Nina Stojanovic will play each other for the second time — and their first meeting came just one week ago. Stojanovic defeated Stosur last week in the second round of Nanchang en route to the semifinals, where she fell to eventual champion Rebecca Peterson.

Two-time Guangzhou champion Zhang Shuai and Viktorija Golubic have split their two prior meetings, which both came at Grand Slam events: Golubic won in three sets at 2017 Wimbledon, while Zhang won in two quick sets in the first round of the 2019 US Open just last month.

Both of Zhang’s two WTA singles finals have come in Guangzhou. She won the 2013 title by defeating Vania King in the final, and claimed the crown for a second time in 2017 after beating Aleksandra Krunic in the championship match.

Read more: Bouzkova makes Guangzhou quarterfinals after Svitolina retirement

Marie Bouzkova and Anna Blinkova will square off for the first time on Thursday. Both players are into their second WTA-level quarterfinal-or-better of the season: Blinkova reached the last eight in the Bronx, while Bouzkova went one step further, reaching the semifinals at Toronto after advancing past Top 10 players Sloane Stephens and Simona Halep.

Sofia Kenin defeated Jasmine Paolini in their only prior tilt, which came in Paolini’s home country on the clay courts of Rome. Kenin is having a breakthrough season, winning her first two WTA singles titles at Hobart and Mallorca, and is currently perched at her career-high WTA singles ranking of World No.20.