Andy Roddick’s downward trajectory, the return of Kim Clijsters, and reigning Wimbledon champ Petra Kvitova in action are the things to watch this week, the final warm-up week before Wimbledon.
ADHEREL
Roddick draws fellow American Sam Querrey first round in Eastbourne, one of many potential upsets in the mix.
Here is a look forward at the grasscourt events this week:
UNICEF Open
‘s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands; Surface: grass
Men’s Seeds: David Ferrer, Viktor Troicki, Jurgen Melzer, Robin Haase, Santiago Giraldo, Jarkko Nieminen, Alex Bogomolov Jr., Lukasz Kubot
Floaters: (WC) David Goffin, Dudi “Where’s My Car?” Sela, Edouard Roger-Vasselin, Gilles Muller, Xavier Malisse
Notes: A rough field containing one Top 10 player (Ferrer), the only Top 30 player in the field; tough openers include (8) Kubot vs. the veteran Sela, (7) Bogomolov vs. the Roddick-beater Roger-Vasselin, (5) Giraldo vs. Muller, and (2) Troicki vs. X-Man; returning champs in the field are Dmitry Tursunov (2011) and Ferrer (2008).
Women’s Seeds: Sam Stosur, Sara Errani, Dominika Cibulkova, Flavia Pennetta, Maria Kirilenko, Roberta Vinci, Jelena Jankovic, Nadia Petrova
Floaters: Kim Clijsters, Eleni Daniilidou, Sofia Arvidsson, Francesca Schiavone
Notes: Yup, Kim mother-blanking Clijsters is back, bitches! Unseeded and looking to meet (2) Sara Errani 2nd rd.; other tough openers include (6) Vinci vs. the veteran Daniilidou, (7) Jankovic vs. Arvidsson, and (5) Kirilenko vs. the former Slam winner Schiavone; receiving wildcards were Kiki Bertens, Jankovic and Arantxa Rus; Vinci (2011) and Clijsters (2003) are returning champs in the field.
AEGON International
Eastbourne, Great Britain; Surface: grass
Men’s Seeds: Richard Gasquet, Marcel Granollers, Andreas Seppi, Bernard Tomic, Julien Benneteau, Andy Roddick, Philipp Kohlschreiber, Pablo Andujar
Floaters: Sam Querrey, Marcos Baghdatis, Yen-Hsun Lu, Michael Llodra
Notes: The Top 4 seeds receive opening round byes, but lots of likely upsets lurk, including (6) Roddick vs. Querrey, (8) Andujar vs. Baghdatis, (5) Benneteau vs. Lu, and second round (2) Granollers vs. Llodra; since beating Roger Federer in Miami, Roddick has lost his last six matches, with his ranking dropping to No. 32; former champs in the field are Seppi (2011), Llodra (2010), and Gasquet (2006-05).
Women’s Seeds: Agnieszka Radwanska, Petra Kvitova, Caroline Wozniacki, Marion Bartoli, Angelique Kerber, Ana Ivanovic, Lucie Safarova, Daniela Hantuchova
Floaters: Christina McHale
Notes: Not a lot of unseeded talent, but among the seeds you have the reigning Wimbledon champ and two former No. 1s; (3) Wozniacki vs. the American riser McHale will be a match to watch; returning champs in the field are Bartoli (2011), Wozniacki (2009), and Radwanska (2008).
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