OPENING HURDLE

like I’m a top- 20 player. Obviously I would love to push towards the top 10,” she added.

“It’s been a really exciting year and hopefully there is a couple of big tournaments left.” Barty, miles in his l e g s before the end o f t h e who won her first tourlevel tournament this year in Nottingham, has been in fine form in Wuhan after beating Jo Konta and Zheng Saisai in the first two rounds.

Kerber and Halep’s exits season. A break of the Murray serve in the seventh game of the first set was an indication things weren’t going the British player’s way.

Then a break in the sixth game of the second put fellow wild card Zhang at 5- 2 on serve — and a realisation that Murray was in for a fullon fight.

Zhang held his nerve when that set was forced to a tie- break but Murray’s experience showed in the decider as he broke for 4- 2 before Zhang’s injury struck.

Murray, who reached the pinnacle of the sport in 2016 and has three Grand Slam singles titles on have presented an opportunity to world number two Caroline Wozniacki to push towards the top spot as well as qualification for next month’s WTA Finals in Singapore. Six of eight places at the season finale his shelf, chalked up his 661st career win against a young man who has won just four matches as a pro.

Murray had said coming in that this Shenzhen event and then next week in Beijing would be the last two tournaments of his season, and that he hoped to “play some good tennis and get on a bit of a run” in China.

He’ll get another chance to do exactly that when he lines up against last year’s Shenzhen Open winner, top seed and current world number 11 David Goffin of Belgium in second- round play on Thursday.

Fate had seemed to be working against Murray even before he entered the fray at the Shenzhen Longgang Sports Centre, with an almost two- and- ahalf hour rain delay before his opening match.

And on Monday, Murray embarrassingly dropped a commemorative plate given to him by tournament organisers in honour of his contributions to the promotion of tennis in China. The plate smashed and Murray reacted in horror, while quickly apologising to the officials gathered around him. He later posted a clip of the incident on Instagram stories with the caption “Woops”. are still up for grabs — only Halep and Kerber have qualified so far. Wozniacki, this year’s Australian Open winner, will face reigning Olympic champion Monica Puig later on Wednesday.

I set myself that goal at the start of the year I want to stay top- 20. I feel like I’m a top- 20 player. Obviously I would love to push towards the top 10.