Ferrer Leads 2 Top 10ers in Auckland; Top Seed Stephens Pulls from Ugly Hobart
AUCKLAND OPEN
Auckland, New Zealand; Surface: hard
ADHEREL
Seeds: David Ferrer, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, John Isner, Kevin Anderson, Benoit Paire, Fabio Fognini, Ivo Karlovic, Roberto Bautista Agut
Floaters: Jack Sock, Vasek Pospisil, Sam Querrey
Notes: Two Top 10ers in the field with the four-time champ Ferrer and Tsonga…The Top 4 seeds receive opening-round byes…Potential tough starts for seeds (7) Karlovic vs. Pospisil (winner to meet Sock) and (3) Isner after a bye vs. Querrey in an all-American match-up…Wildcards went to Ferrer and Kiwis Finn Tearney and Michael Venus…Jiri Vesely beat Adrian Mannarino in last year’s thrilling final…Returning former champs in the field are Vesely (2015), Isner (2014,’10), Ferrer (2013-11,’07), and Kohlschreiber (2008).
HOBART INTERNATIONAL
Hobart, Australia; Surface: hard
Seeds: Camila Giorgi, Dominika Cibulkova, Monica Niculescu, Madison Brengle, Barbora Strycova, Alize Cornet, Alison Van Uytvanck, Mona Barthel
Floaters: Christine McHale, Heather Watson, Annika Beck, Eugenie Bouchard, Zarina Diyas
Notes: Top-seeded Sloane Stephens withdrew from the event after the draw was made…Now no Top 30 players in the field…Possible tough starts for (4) Niculescu vs. McHale, and (2) Giorgi vs. Diyas, who found herself seeded as numerous events last year…Bouchard in the lower half ready to meet the No. 8 and 2 seeds early…All-Aussie wildcards went to Kimberly Birrell, Maddison Inglis and Jarmila Wolfe…Pulling from the event were Petra Cetkovska and Americans Alison Riske and Stephens…Watson beat Brengle in last year’s final as an unseeded player for her second career title…Former champs in the field are Watson (2015), Barthel (2012), and Wolfe (formerly Jarmila Groth in 2011).
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