Wozniacki, Bartoli Lead WTA Veterans Week Before French Open
Most of the top names on the WTA tour are at rest this week, but some big names such as former No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki, and veterans Marion Bartoli and Daniela Hantuchova are looking for some last-minute French Open preparation at WTA events in Brussels and Strasbourg:
ADHEREL
Brussels Open
Brussels, Belgium; Surface: clay
Seeds: Caroline Wozniacki, Roberta Vinci, Dominika Cibulkova, Sloane Stephens, Kirsten Flipkens, Julia Goerges, Varvara Lepchenko, Shuai Peng
Floaters: Jie Zheng, Tsvetana Pironkova, Kaia Kanepi, Madison Keys, Yanina Wickmayer
Notes: Third edition of the tournament takes place at the Royal Primerose Tennis Club in Brussels…wildcards went to Brit Elena Baltacha, Belgiuan Alison Van Uytvanck, and the top seed Wozniacki…Pulling from the event were Irina-Camelia Begu, Simona Halep, Kristina Mladenovic, Ayumi Morita and Aggie Radwanska…Radwanska beat Halep in last year’s final…The country that produced recent No. 1s Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin now has no players in the Top 20 and only two in the Top 100…Interesting qualifying field contains former world No. 1 junior Taylor Townsend, Shahar Peer and former US Open sensation Melanie Oudin…Wozniacki (2011) is the lone returning former champ in the field.
Internationaux de Strasbourg
Strasbourg, France; Surface: clay
Seeds: Marion Bartoli, Tamira Paszek, Alize Cornet, Hsieh Su-wei, Monica Niculescu, Christina McHale, Chanelle Scheepers, Daniela Hantuchova
Floaters: Lauren Davis
Notes: (6) Christina McHale has a trickly opener against American countrywoman Davis…Wildcards went to Frenchwomen Claire Feuerstein, Caroline Garcia and Virginie Razzano…Pulling from the event were Lara Arruabarrena, Maria Kirilenko, Anabel Medina Garrigues, Pauline Parmentier and Heather Watson…Hantuchova also the top seed in doubles…The No. 3 seed Cornet lost in last year’s final to Francesca Schiavone…With the pull-out of three-time champion Medina Garrigues, there are no former champs in the field.
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