WTA Cincinnati Preview: All Eyes on Serena Williams; Venus and Clijsters Out

by Staff | August 13th, 2011, 5:10 pm
  • 4 Comments

Cincinnati debuts this year as a joint men’s and women’s event, and Serena Williams continues her debut as an unseeded draw steamroller after coming off a year on the sidelines due to injury.
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The Western & Southern Open features 18 of the Top 20 women’s players, with seeds Caroline Wozniacki, Vera Zvonareva, Victoria Azarenka, Maria Sharapova, Li Na, Petra Kvitova, Francesca Schiavone, Marion Bartoli, Andrea Petkovic, Samantha Stosur, Agnieszka Radwanska, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Jelena Jankovic, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Ana Ivanovic, and Peng Shuai.

Floaters to watch for besides Serena Williams include Lucie Safarova, Sabine Lisicki, Gisela Dulko, Maria Kirilenko, Yanina Wickmayer, and Flavia Pennetta, all of who meet seeds early on.

Serena opens against Czech Lucie Hradecka, then is looking at seeds Sam Stosur and Li Na in the next two rounds. Other openers of interest include (3) Azarenka after a bye likely facing Lisicki, (16) Peng vs. the veteran Dulko, (7) Schiavone after a bye likely facing Kirilenko, (5) Na likely starting against the red-hot Safarova, (14) Kuznetsova vs. Wickmayer, and (12) Pavlyuchenkova vs. Pennetta.


Venus Williams withdraws citing the viral infection that also kept her out of Toronto, and Kim Clijsters and Dominika Cibulkova both withdrew citing abdominal injuries.

Wildcards went to Slovenian Polona Hercog, Sharapova, and young Americans Christina McHale and Sloane Stephens.

Clijsters defeated Sharapova in last year’s three-set final.


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4 Comments for WTA Cincinnati Preview: All Eyes on Serena Williams; Venus and Clijsters Out

joe Says:

damn the women are always injured and the top players can never get together at the same event. i want to see venus and kimmy. i want to see wozniacki win some matches.

serena is making everyone look bad.


Trent Says:

Yep! the 2nd coming of Jordan, M.Ali,and Jesus, all wrapped into one. I wouldn’t wanna face Serena right now, she’s TOO HUUUNNNGRRY!


Kimmi Says:

ROOTING FOR SERENA..SHE NEEDS TO BE SEEDED AT THE USO.


Bobby Norwich Says:

If Venus has a viral infection bad enough to withdraw, why was she seen at the Cincinnati tournament on Sunday, the day before it starts? If you are that sick, stay home, recover, and don’t expose others to it.

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