Previews: Azarenka vs. Venus at Tokyo; ATP Events

TORAY PAN PACIFIC OPEN
Tokyo, Japan; Surface: hard

Seeds: Victoria Azarenka, Agnieszka Radwanska, Sara Errani, Caroline Wozniacki, Angelique Kerber, Jelena Jankovic, Petra Kvitova, Roberta Vinci, Sloane Stephens, Carla Suarez Navarro, Ana Ivanovic, Samantha Stosur, Simona Halep, Kirsten Flipkens, Sorana Cirstea, Dominika Cibulkova
ADHEREL
Floaters: Venus Williams, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Madison Keys, Flavia Pennetta, Daniela Hantuchova, Francesca Schiavone, Varvara Lepchenko

Notes: The WTA Premier event remains big with some early testers, despite the withdrawals of world No. 1 Serena Williams (fatigue) and Maria Sharapova (shoulder)…Already into the second round after a Sunday start are (9) Stephens, (12) Stosur, (14) Flipkens, (15) Cirstea (next vs. Lepchenko), and (16) Cibulkova, along with Kuznetsova (next vs. (3) Errani) and Venus Williams (next vs. (1) Azarenka)…Tough openers to come include (10) Suarez Navarro vs. Keys, Pennetta vs. Hantuchova (winner to meet (14) Wozniacki), and (2) Radwanska to meet the winner of Schiavone and Canuck Aleksandra Wozniak…Wildcards went to Swiss Belinda Bencic and Japan’s Misaki Doi and Kurumi Nara…Also pulling from the event were notables Jamie Hampton (ankle), Maria Kirilenko, Sabine Lisicki (illness), and Nadia Petrova (hip)…Petrova beat Radwanska in last year’s final…Returning champs in the field are Radwanska (2011), Wozniacki (2010), and the ageless Kimiko Date-Krumm (1995).

MALAYSIAN OPEN
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Surface: hard

Seeds: David Ferrer, Stanislas Wawrinka, Nicolas Almagro, Jurgen Melzer, Julien Benneteau, Dmitry Tursunov, Vasek Pospisil, Nikolay Davydenko

Floaters: Victor Hanescu, Marcos Baghdatis

Notes: Potential opening testers for (7) Pospisil vs. the veteran Hanescu, and (2) Wawrinka after a bye likely vs. the veteran Baghdatis…Wildcards went to Spain’s Pablo Carreno-Busta, South Korea’s Hyeon Chung, and American Ryan Harrison…Pulling from the event were Brian Baker, Marin Cilic (suspended), Juan Monaco and Andreas Seppi…Returning champs in the field are Monaco (2012) and Davydenko (2009).

THAILAND OPEN
Bangkok, Thailand; Surface: hard

Seeds: Tomas Berdych, Richard Gasquet, Milos Raonic, Gilles Simon, Mikhail Youzhny, Feliciano Lopez, Jarkko Nieminen, Lukas Rosol

Floaters: “Dr.” Ivo Karlovic, Bernard Tomic, Igor Sijsling

Notes: Tough openers for (4) Simon after a bye vs. the winner of Karlovic-Tomic, and (7) Nieminen vs. the Dutch riser Sijsling…Wildcards went to three dudes whose names you can’t pronounce…Pulling from the event were Ivan Dodig, Andy Murray (back surgery), and Tommy Robredo…Gasquet beat Simon in last year’s final…Returning champs in the field are Gasquet (2012) and Simon (2009).