Pegula, Jabeur, Azarenka Headline Clay Event In Charleston; Svitolina Returns
The WTA clay season opens with a loaded field in Charleston this week. Headline in South Carolina are five former champions plus top seeds Jessica Pegula and Ons Jabeur. Jabeur has made the finals the last two years.
Here’s the full list of top seeds: 1 Jessica Pegula, 2 Ons Jabeur, 3 Daria Kasatkina, 4 Belinda Bencic, 5 Veronika Kudermetova, 6 Victoria Azarenka, 7 Ekaterina Alexandrova, 8 Magda Linette, 9 Madison Keys, 10 Shuai Zhang, 11 Anhelina Kalinina, 12 Paula Badosa, 13 Danielle Collins, 14 Jil Teichmann, 15 Irina Camelia Begu, 16 Marie Bouzkova.
JESSICA PEGULA QUARTER
Seeds: 1 Pegula, 5 Kudermetova, 12 Badosa, 15 Begu
Floaters: Sasnovich, Sherif, Fernandez, Parks, Kenin
Notable openers: Dalma Galfi-Irina Camelia Begu, Paula Badosa-Mayar Sherif
Notes: American No. 1 Pegula will go in as the tournament favorite and she has a good draw with 2021 champion Kudermetova lurking.
BELINDA BENCIC QUARTER
Seeds: 4 Bencic, 7 Alexandrova, 10 Zhang, 13 Collins
Floaters: Rogers, Putintseva, Davis, Niemeier, Svitolina
Notable openers: Shelby Rogers-Danielle Collins
Notes: Former champions Bencic and Keys are their plus a super showdown between Charleston native Shelby Rogers and Danielle Collins. Bencic will open her title defense potentially against Lauren Davis. Former Top 5 Elina Svitolina also returns to tennis for the first time since given birth last year.
DARIA KASATKINA QUARTER
Seeds: 3 Kasatkina, 8 Linette, 9 Keys, 16 Bouzkova
Floaters: Pera, Gracheva, Kanepi, Wang, Brengle, Navarro
Notable openers: Emma Navarro-Madison Keys, Marie Bouzkova-Cristina Bucsa, Claire Liu-Bernarda Pera
Notes: Former champions Kasatkina and Keys could collide but Australian Open semifinalist Linette or Kanepi could spoil. Keys opens with local favorite Navarro.
ONS JABEUR QUARTER
Seeds: 2 Jabeur, 6 Azarenka, 11 Kalinina, 14 Teichmann
Floaters: Stephens, Fruhvirtova, Kalinskaya, Cornet, Tsurenko, Dolehide
Notable openers: Anna Kalinskaya-Anhelina Kalinina, Jil Teichmann-Linda Fruhvirtova
Notes: Jabeur continues her comeback in a place where she’s made the finals the last two years. Azarenka-Stephens would be a second round popcorn match.
No. 1 Pegula is projected to meet 5 Kudermetova in the quarters, No. 4 Bencic – 7 Alexandrova, No. 8 Linette – 3 Kasatkina, and 6 seed Azarenka – 2 Jabeur in the bottom quarter.
Former champions: Kudermetova, Bencic, Keys, Kasatkina, Stephens
Former finalists: Jabeur(2)
Last year, (10) Belinda Bencic defeated (4) Ons Jabeur 6-1, 5-7, 6-4.
LAST 10 CHARLESTON CHAMPIONS/FINALS
2022 Belinda Bencic d Ons Jabeur 6-1, 5-7, 6-4
2021 Astra Sharma d Ons Jabeur 2-6, 7-5, 6-1
2021 Veronika Kudermetova d Danka Kovinic 6-4,, 6-2
2019 Madison Keys d Caroline Wozniacki 7-6(5) 6-3
2018 Kiki Bertens d Julia Goerges 6-2, 6-1
2017 Daria Kasatkina d Jelena Ostapenko 6-3, 6-1
2016 Sloane Stephens d Elena Vesnina 7-6(4), 6-2
2015 Angelique Kerber d Madison Keys 6-2, 4-6, 7-5
2014 Andrea Petkovic d Jana Cepelova 7-5, 6-2
2013 Serena Williams d Jelena Jankovic 3-6, 6-0, 6-2
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