The top two seeds in Moscow this week, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Carla Suarez Navarro have plenty to play for in the Russian capital.
Victory for either at the Premier-level event would see them nab the eighth and final place in Singapore at the WTA Finals.
With Serena Williams withdrawing from the season-ending event, Johanna Konta is in ninth place and next in line to qualify.
Yet if Kuznetsova was to defend her title in Moscow or Suarez Navarro was to win her second tournament of 2016, they would leap-frog the Brit into position No.9.
After a first-round bye, No.1 seed Kuznetsova opens her Moscow campaign against Alize Cornet, while second seed Suarez Navarro, also handed a bye through to the second round, takes on in-form Aussie Daria Gavrilova.
Already confirmed for the WTA Finals are Angelique Kerber, Simona Halep, Agnieszka Radwanska, Karolina Pliskova, Garbine Muguruza, Madison Keys and Dominika Cibulkova.
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