Nadal, Stephens Headline Fields at Joint Acapulco; Previews

The ATP and WTA men and women converge on Acapulco for a joint event that features a loaded men’s field, and former champion Sloane Stephens leading the women’s field.
ADHEREL
Six of the Top 10 men are lead by Rafael Nadal who is chasing the idle Roger Federer in an attempt to close the gap for the No. 1 ranking.

Defending champion Sam Querrey is joined by fellow seeded Americans Jack Sock and John Isner.

ABIERTO MEXICANO TELCEL
ACAPULCO, Mexico; surface: hard

Men’s Seeds: Rafael Nadal, Alexander Zverev, Dominic Thiem, Jack Sock, Kevin Anderson, Juan Martin del Potro, Sam Querrey, John Isner

Men’s Floaters: Felician “F-Lo” Lopez, Hyeon Chung, Mischa Zverev, Kei Nishikori, Denis Shapovalov, Ryan Harrison

Men’s Notes: Potential tough starts for (1) Nadal vs. his free-swinging Spanish countryman F-Lo (winner to possibly meet (WC) Thanasi Kokkinakis), (4) Sock 2nd rd. vs. the Aussie Open semifinalist Chung, (6) Del Potro vs. the elder net-rushing Zverev, (3) Thiem 2nd rd. vs. the Nishikori-Shapovalov winner, and (8) Isner vs. his countryman Harrison…Wildcards were awarded to Sock, Kokkinakis, and Mexico’s Lucas Gomez…Withdrawing from the tournament were Marin Cilic, Alexandr Dolgopolov and Nick Kyrgios…The Bryan brothers are the No. 4 seeds in doubles…Querrey beat Nadal in last year’s final…Returning former champions in the field are Querrey (2017), Thiem (2016), Ferrer (2015,’12-10), and Nadal (2013,’05).

Women’s Seeds: Sloane Stephens, Kristina Mladenovic, Daria Gavrilova, Zhang Shuai, Irina-Camelia Begu, Alize Cornet, Lesia Tsurenko, Tatjana Maria

Women’s Floaters: Monica Puig, Christina McHale, Belinda Bencic, Lauren Davis

Women’s Notes: No Top 10ers in the field, with the top-seeded Stephens at No. 13 entering the event…The unpredictable (1) Stephens will start against France’s Pauline Parmentier, then the winner of (WC) Kayla Day and a qualifier…(2) Mladenovic starts against a qualifier then the winner of Heather Watson and Beatriz Haddad Maia…Interesting starts for (6) Cornet 2nd rd. vs. Puig, (5) Begu vs. McHale (winner to meet Bencic), and (7) Tsurenko vs. Davis…Wildcards were given to Day, Gavrilova and Mexico’s Renata Zarazua…Pulling from the event were Mona Barthel, Kirsten Flipkens and Kaia Kanepi…Tsurenko beat Mladenovic in last year’s final…Former champs in the field are Tsurenko (2017) and Stephens (2016)