ATP/WTA Previews: Murray Looking for Vienna Points

KREMLIN CUP
Moscow, Russia; Surface: hard

Men’s Seeds: Milos Raonic, Marin Cilic, Ernests Gulbis, Fabio Fognini, Roberto Bautista Agut, Tommy Robredo, Mikhail Youzhny, Andreas Seppi
ADHEREL
Men’s Floaters: none

Men’s Notes: The top-seeded Raonic is making his first appearance at the event…Not a deep field with players outside the Top 100 receiving direct entry…Wildcards went to Russians Andrey Rublev, Karen Khachanov and Evgeny Donskoy…Raonic after a bye will open against a qualifier…Returning former champs in the field are Seppi (2012) and Youzhny (2009).

Women’s Seeds: Dominika Cibulkova, Ekaterina Makarova, Flavia Pennetta, Lucie Safarova, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Karolina Pliskova, Caroline Garcia

Women’s Floaters: Alison Riske, Ana Konjuh, Camila Giorgi

Women’s Notes: Tough starts for (6) Pavlyuchenkova vs. the Croat riser Konjuh, and (3) Pennetta after a bye likely starting against her countrywoman Giorgi…Pliskova enters the event coming off her second career title last week…Wildcards were awarded to Russian Darya Kasatkina and Serb Aleksandra Krunic…Cibulkova (2011) is the lone returning former champ in the field.

IF STOCKHOLM OPEN
Stockholm, Sweden; Surface: hard

Seeds: Tomas Berdych, Grigor Dimitrov, Kevin Anderson, Alexandr Dolgopolov, Leonardo Mayer, Jeremy Chardy, Fernando Verdasco, Joao Sousa

Floaters: Marcos Baghdatis, Donald Young, Bernard Tomic, Jack Sock

Notes: (4) Dolgopolov after a bye could start against Baghdatis, and the mentally damaged (5) Mayer will start against the mercurial Young…Wildcards went to Swedes Christian Lindell, Patrik Rosenholm and Elias Ymer…Dimitrov beat Ferrer in last year’s final…Returning former champs in the field are Dimitrov (2013), Berdych (2012), and Baghdatis (2009).

ERSTE BANK OPEN
Vienna, Austria; Surface: hard

Seeds: David Ferrer, Andy Murray, Feliciano Lopez, Philipp Kohlschreiber, Lukas Rosol, Ivo Karlovic, Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, Dominic Thiem

Floaters: Robin Haase, Vasek Pospisil

Notes: Andy Murray makes his career debut in Vienna in an effort to qualify for the year-end championship…Tough starts for (8) Thiem against the indoor veteran Haase and (2) Murray after a bye like facing Pospisil…Wildcards went to Ferrer, Murray and Austrian Gerald Melzer…The currently-injured Tommy Haas won the title last year…Former returning champs in the field are Jurgen Melzer (2010-09) and Lopez (2004).

BGL BNP PARIBAS LUXEMBOURG OPEN
Luxembourg; Surface: hard

Seeds: Andrea Petkovic, Alize Cornet, Sabine Lisicki, Barbora Zahlavova-Strycova, Varvara Lepchenko, Roberta Vinci, Kirsten Flipkens, Monica Niculescu

Floaters: Daniela Hantuchova, Julia Goerges

Notes: No Top 15 players in the field…Tough starts for (3) Lisiacki against the veteran Hantuchova and (5) Lepchenko vs. (WC) Goerges…Wildcards were awarded to Germany’s Goerges and Antonia Lottner, and Luxembourg’s Mandy Minella…Former returning champions in the field are Roberta Vinci (2010) and Timea Bacsinszky (2009).