Serena Williams in Swedish Cake Walk, Men at Newport; ATP/WTA Previews

HALL OF FAME TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS
Newport, R.I., USA; Surface: grass

Seeds: John Isner, Ivo Karlovic, Bernard Tomic, Jack Sock, Adrian Mannarino, Sam Querrey, Steve Johnson, Tim Smyczek
ADHEREL
Floaters: Rajeev Ram, Tommy Haas, Radek “The Worm” Stepanek, Dustin Brown

Notes: This is the 40th anniversary of the tournament…Tough starts include (1) Isner vs. fellow American Rajeev “The Indian Sampras” Ram, (5) Mannarino vs. Haas, Sock vs. The Worm, and (6) Querrey likely second round vs. Dustin “Smokin'” Brown…Mark Philippoussis for whatever reason played the singles qualifying tournament and lost first round…Wildcards went to Haas, Tomic, and American Noah Rubin…Pulling from the event were Ivan Dodig, James Duckworth, Sam Groth, Nicolas Mahut, Go Soeda, Sergiy “Half the WTA Players Are Lesbians” Stakhovsky, and Donald Young…Philippoussis is playing doubles with American Ryan Harrison…Lleyton Hewitt beat Karlovic in the final last year…Former champs in the field are Isner (2012-11) and Ram (2009).

COLLECTOR SWEDISH OPEN
Bastad, Sweden; Surface: red clay

Seeds: Serena Williams, Sam Stosur, Barbora Strycova, Mona Barthel, Carina Witthoft, Katerina Siniakova, Johanna Larsson, Tatjana Maria

Floaters: none

Notes: When world No. 1 Serena Williams is your only Top 20 player in the field, is it safe to say you’ve put all your eggs (aka appearance money) in one basket?…Wildcards were awarded to Swedes Sofia Arvidsson, Susanne Celik and Rebecca Peterson…Pulling from the event were the American triumvirate of Bethanie Mattek-Sands, Christina McHale and Sloane Stephens…In last year’s final Barthel beat Chanelle Scheepers…Former champs in the field are Barthel (2014) and Serena Williams (2013).

BRD BUCHAREST OPEN
Bucharest, Romania; Surface: red clay

Seeds: Sara Errani, Roberta Vinci, Monica Niculescu, Julia Goerges, Alexandra Dulgheru, Tereza Smitkova, Anna Karolina Schmiedlova, Annika Beck

Floaters: none

Notes: Wildcards all went to Romanians in Ana Bogdan, Sorana Cirstea and Patricia Maria Tig…Pulling from the event were Karin Knapp, Ana Konjuh, Magda Linette and Pauline Parmentier…At last year’s inaugural event Simona Halep beat Roberta Vinci in the final.