ATP/WTA Previews: Isners Leads W-S, Solid Field at WTA Conn.

One week to go before the US Open, and the final warm-up events feature John Isner leading the struggling American contingent at the Winston-Salem Open, and a fairly formidable field for the week before a Slam at the WTA Connecticut Open, featuring a former world No. 1 and two Grand Slam winners.
ADHEREL
Wimbledon boy’s champ Noah Rubin will make his pro debut in Winston-Salem.

WINSTON-SALEM OPEN
Winston-Salem, N.C., USA; Surface: hard

Seeds: John Isner, (WC) Kevin Anderson, Tommy Robredo, Leonardo Mayer, Guillermo Garc�a-Lopez, Joao Sousa, Lukas Rosol, Marcel Granollers, Lu Yen-Hsun, Pablo Andujar, Donald Young, Edouard Roger-Vasselin, Mikhail Kukushkin, Andreas Seppi, Jarkko Nieminen, Steve Johnson

Floaters: (WC) Robby Ginepri, Paul-Henri Mathieu, Jerzy Janowicz, Sam Querrey

Notes: Potential tough starts for (8) Granollers against the Ginepri-Mathieu winner, (6) Sousa vs. the explosive Janowicz, and (16) Johnson vs. his American compatriot Querrey…Wildcards went to South African Kevin Anderson and Americans Ginepri, Ryan Harrison and Wimbledon boys’ winner Noah Rubin…Notable withdrawals from the tournament include Wimbledon doubles winners Vasek Pospisil and Jack Sock, and Dmitry Tursunov…Jurgen Melzer beat Gael Monfils in last year’s final…Returning former champs in the field are Melzer (2013) and Isner (2012-11).

CONNECTICUT OPEN PRESENTED BY UNITED TECHNOLOGIES
New Haven, Conn.; Surface: hard

Seeds: Simona Halep, Petra Kvitova, Eugenie Bouchard, Caroline Wozniacki, (WC) Dominika Cibulkova, Flavia Pennetta, Sara Errani, Carla Suarez Navarro

Floaters: (WC) Sam Stosur, (WC) Andrea Petkovic, Klara Koukalova, Garbine Muguruza, Ekaterina Makarova

Notes: Solid field for the week before the US Open with a former No. 1, a former Slam champ (and a former Slam champ in the qualifying in Francesca Schiavone), and the Canadian attraction Bouchard…Potentially challenging starts for (6) Pennetta vs. Koukalova, (7) Errani vs. the Spanish comer Muguruza, (5) Cibulkova vs. (WC) Petkovic, and the struggling (2) Kvitova after a bye vs. Makarova…Wildcards went to Cibulkova, Petkovic, Stosur and Kirsten Flipkens…Halep beat Kvitova in last year’s final…Wozniacki (four career New Haven titles along with Venus Williams and Steffi Graf) is seeking to become the first five-time winner at the event…Returning former champs in the field are Halep (2013), Kvitova (2012), and Wozniacki (2011-08).