ATP/WTA Previews: Ferrer, Isner, Halep Lead Events

SkiStar Swedish Open
Bastad, Sweden; Surface: clay
ADHEREL
Seeds: David Ferrer, Tommy Robredo, Fernando Verdasco, Jerzy Janowicz, Joao Sousa, Jeremy Chardy, Carlos Berlocq, Pablo Carreno Busta

Floaters: none

Notes: Spanish armada occupy the No. 1-3 seeds…Seeds Sousa, Chardy and Carreno Busta are making their first appearances…Wildcards went to Swedes Markus Eriksson, Christian Lindell and Elias Ymer…Withdrawing from the event were Nicolas Almagro and Lukasz Kubot…Returning champions in the field are Berlocq (2013), Ferrer (2012,’07), and Robredo (2008,’06).

Stuttgart MercedesCup
Stuttgart, Germany; Surface: clay

Seeds: Fabio Fognini, Mikhail Youzhny, Roberto Bautista Agut, Feliciano Lopez, Philipp Kohlschreiber, Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, Santiago Giraldo, Federico Delbonis

Floaters: Lukas Rosol, Juan Monaco, Benoit Paire

Notes: The top-seeded Fognini is the defending champ, beating Kohlschreiber in last year’s final…Wildcards went to Germans Michael Berrer, Philipp Petzschner and Alexander Zverev…Pulling from the event were Marcel Granollers, Tommy Haas and Denis Istomin…Fognini (2013) is the lone returning former champ at the event where seven former No. 1s have raised the trophy.

Newport Hall of Fame Tennis Championships
Newport, R.I, U.S.A.; Surface: grass

Seeds: John Isner, Ivo Karlovic, Lleyton Hewitt, Nicolas Mahut, Donald Young, Steve Johnson, Jack Sock, Adrian Mannarino

Floaters: Alex Kuznetsov, Robby Ginepri

Notes: Mahut beat Hewitt in last year’s final…The hodgepodge of seeds includes a former world No. 1 and Wimbledon champ and this year’s Wimbledon men’s doubles winner…Interesting starts for (7) Sock vs. the veteran Kuznetsov and the struggling (2) Karlovic vs. Ginepri…Wildcards were awarded to Americans Ginepri, Mitchell Krueger and Clay Thompson…Returning champs in the field are Mahut (2013), Isner (2012-11) and Ginepri (2003).

Bucharest Open
Bucharest, Romania; Surface: clay

Seeds: Simona Halep, Roberta Vinci, Klara Koukalova, Karin Knapp, Annika Beck, Anna Schmiedlova, Petra Cetkovska, Polona Hercog

Floaters: none

Notes: Slim field with Halep the lone Top 20 player…Wildcards went to Romanians Cristina Dinu, Andreea Mitu, Raluca Olaru…The Bucharest Open is a debut event on the WTA Tour in 2014.

NURNBERGER Gastein Ladies
Bad Gastein, Austria; Surface: clay

Seeds: Flavia Pennetta, Sara Errani, Carla Suarez Navarro, Andrea Petkovic, Elina Svitolina, Yvonne Meusburger, Camila Giorgi, Karolína Pliskova

Floaters: Mona Barthel, Julia Goerges

Notes: Strong Italian contingent in seeds Pennetta, Errani and Giorgi…Challenging start for (8) Pliskova vs. Barthel…Wildcards went to Austrians Lisa-Maria Moser and Yvonne Neuwirth, and Pennetta…Pulling from the event were Mirjana Lucic-Baroni and Lucie Safarova…Meusburger beat Andrea Hlavackova in last year’s final…Returning former champs in the field are Meusburger (2013), Goerges (2010) and Petkovic (2009).