ATP/WTA Previews: Radwanska, 4 Top 10 in Moscow; Lux, Stockholm, Vienna

KREMLIN CUP BY BANK OF MOSCOW
Moscow, Russia; Surface: hard

Women’s Seeds: Aggie Radwanska, Lucie Safarova, Flavia Pennetta, Angelique Kerber, Carla Suarez Navarro, Karolina Pliskova, Irina-Camelia Begu, Anna Karolina Schmiedlova
ADHEREL
Women’s Floaters: Daria Gavrilova, Alize Cornet, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Dominika Cibulkova

Women’s Notes: Strong field with four Top 10 seeds…The rusty (2) Safarova after a bye will be up against it versus either defending champ Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova or Monica Niculescu…Other tough starts for (1) Radwanska after a bye vs. the comer Gavrilova or Cornet, and (4) Kerber vs. the former No. 2 Kuznetsova…The Top 4 seeds receive opening-round byes…Wildcards were awarded to Radwanska, Czech Karolina Pliskova, Pennetta and Russian Elena Vesnina…Pulling from the tournament were Petra Kvitova, Karin Knapp and Ekaterina Makarova…This is the 20th anniversary of the women’s tournament…Pavlyuchenkova beat Begu in last year’s final…Returning champs in the field are Pavlyuchenkova (2014) and Cibulkova (2011).

Men’s Seeds: Marin Cilic, Roberto Bautista Agut, Viktor Troicki, Philipp Kohlschreiber, Pablo Cuevas, Borna Coric, Joao Sousa, Mikhail Kukushkin

Men’s Floaters: Andrey Rublev, Mikhail Youzhny

Men’s Notes: No Top 10 players in the field…Tricky starts for the No. 50-ranked (8) Kukushkin vs. the Russian riser and homecountry favorite Rublev, and (4) Kohlschreiber after a bye vs. the veteran Youzhny…The Top 4 seeds receive opening-round byes…Wildcards went to Rublev, Turkey’s Cem Ilkel, and Russian Evgeny Donskoy…Withdrawing from the event were Spaniards Pablo Andujar and Marcel Granollers…Cilic beat Roberto Bautusta Agut in last year’s final…Former winners in the field are Cilic (2014), Troicki (2010), and Youzhny (2009).

BGL BNP PARIBAS LUXEMBOURG OPEN
Luxembourg, Luxembourg; Surface: hard

Seeds: Timea Bacsinszky, Ana Ivanovic, Sara Errani, Andrea Petkovic, Jelena Jankovic, Sloane Stephens, Barbora Strycova, Annika Beck

Floaters: Julia “Gorgeous” Goerges, Mona Barthel, Yanina Wickmayer, Heather Watson

Notes: One Top 10er and two former No. 1s among the seeds…Potential tough starts for (1) Bacsinszky vs. Goerges, the streaky (6) Stephens vs. Barthel, (7) Strykova vs. Wickmayer, and (2) Ivanovic vs. Watson…Wildcards went to France’s Tessah Andrianjafitrimo, Luxembourg’s Mandy Minella, and Switzerland’s Stefanie Vogele…Pulling from the event were Daniela Hantuchova, Madison Keys, Sabine Lisicki, Magdalena Rybarikova, and Roberta Vinci…In last year’s final Beck beat Barbora Zahlavova-Strycova…Former champs in the field are Beck (2014), Bacsinszky (2011), and Ivanovic (2007).

IF STOCKHOLM OPEN
Stockholm, Sweden; Surface: hard

Seeds: Tomas Berdych, Richard Gasquet, Gilles Simon, Bernard Tomic, Grigor Dimitrov, Jeremy Chardy, Jack Sock, Gilles Muller

Floaters: Sam Querrey, Marcos Baghdatis

Notes: Strong seeding but not a lot of field depth…(4) Tomic will start against the Querrey-Baghdatis winner…Top 4 seeds receive opening-round byes…Wildcards went to Berdych, Swede Mike Ymer and Finn Jarkko Nieminen…Last year Berdych came from a set down to beat Dimitrov in the final…Berdych trying to become the first Stockholm back-to-back winner since James Blake (2005-06)…Former champs in the field are Berdych (2014,’12), Dimitrov (2013), and Baghdatis (2009).

ERSTE BANK OPEN 500
Vienna, Austria; Surface: hard

Seeds: David Ferrer, Kevin Anderson, John Isner, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Dominic Thiem, Gael Monfils, Ivo Karlovic, Fabio Fognini

Floaters: Radek “The Worm” Stepanek, Tommy Haas, Lukas Rosol, Ernests Gulbis

Notes: Two Top 10 players in Ferrer and Anderson…Lotsa dangerous floaters…Potential tough starts for (4) Tsonga vs. Haas in a battle of former title winners, and (3) Isner after a qualifier vs. Gulbis…Wildcards were awarded to Haas and Austrians Dennis Novak and Gerald Melzer…Pulling from the tournament were Sam Groth, Florian Mayer and Milos Raonic…Held at the Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna…Heh heh, wiener…Andy Murray beat Ferrer in last year’s final…Former champs in the field are Haas (2013,’01) and Tsonga (2011).