Kerber, Bencic, Venus Lead Charleston; WTA Previews This Week
VOLVO CAR OPEN
Charleston, S.C., USA; Surface: clay
Seeds: Angelique Kerber, Belinda Bencic, Venus Williams, Lucie Safarova, Sara Errani, Andrea Petkovic, Sloane Stephens, Madison Keys, Jelena Jankovic, Samantha Stosur, Kristina Mladenovic, Daria Gavrilova, Irina-Camelia Begu, Daria Kasatkina, Sabine Lisicki, Misaki Doi
ADHEREL
Floaters: Caroline Garcia, Genie Bouchard, Alison Riske
Notes: Two Top 10ers in the field, in addition to two former No. 1s…The Top 8 seeds receive opening-round byes…Potential tough starts for (9) Jankovic vs. Garcia and (3) Venus Williams vs. Riske…Wildcards were awarded to Americans Frances Altick, Louisa Chirico and Shelby Rogers…Withdrawing from the event were Mona Barthel, Mariana Duque Marino, and Varvara Lepchenko…Still held at the Family Circle Tennis Center, but family circle opts out as the title sponsor, replaced by Volvo…Kerber beat Keys in last year’s three-set final…Americans won the title from 1973-85…Former champs in the field are Kerber (2015), Petkovic (2014), Stosur (2010), Lisicki (2009), Jankovic (2007), and Venus (2004).
KATOWICE OPEN
Katowice, Poland; Surface: hard
Seeds: Anna Karolina Schmiedlova, Jelena Ostapenko, Alize Cornet, Camila Giorgi, Lesia Tsurenko, Timea Babos, Dominika Cibulkova, Kirsten Flipkens
Floaters: Magdalena Rybarikova, Donna Vekic
Notes: Devastating withdrawal of Poland’s own Aggie Radwanska due to a right shoulder injury, leaving no players in the Top 25…Tough starts for (3) Ostapenko vs. Rybarikova, and (9) Flipkens vs. Vekic…Receiving wildcards were Poland’s Paula Kania, Belarus’ Vera Lapko, and the Ukraine’s Anastasiya Shoshyna…Schmiedlova beat Giorgi in last year’s final, the second straight loss in the final for Giorgi…Schmiedlova (2015) and Cornet (2014) are former champs in the field.
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