That is a very poor result and the first real set back since before Vancouver. The Diyas scoreline wasn't great last time out, but Zarina is at least a quality operator with notable wins and titles.
She has 60 points coming off soon from Luxembourg but she is in a couple more events before the end of the year - pretty sure it's Lux quals and then a French 80k ITF. She should be fine for main draw Aussie Open even if she didn't win another match, thanks to her recent resurgence, but she could do with one or two more wins just to make sure.
Just saw there were 3 LLs in the main draw due to a string of withdrawals including Osaka, so Hev almost certainly would have been in had she beaten Lu, regardless of how she got on in the FQR and with 6 Qs and 3 LLs and a lot of the bigger names withdrawing, a but of a missed chance.
-- Edited by Ace Ventura on Sunday 7th of October 2018 09:50:19 AM
Tianjin looks much stronger with Singapore chasing Pliskova, plus Mertens and Sabalenka who have an outside chance (or certainly as the Alts), plus Garcia as well. I'm not sure of the cut, but with all the LL slots opening up in HK and the likes of Glushko getting in as a LL, I was just thinking Katie would have been far better off playing HK instead.