Week in Preview: ATP in Antwerp, Cologne—again; WTA returns in Ostrava
We’ll take whatever we can (safely) get, right? Here’s a look ahead at who’s playing where over the next seven days.
One thing you can say about sports these days: It’s full of surprises. You never know which games are going to be played, which are going to be postponed, and which are going to vanish forever. It’s true for tennis as well. This week the men remain in Cologne for a second straight week, while the women’s tour reappears in Ostrava after going dark last week.
We’ll take whatever we can (safely) get, right? Here’s a look ahead at who’s playing where over the next seven days.
*Ostrava, Czech Republic
$600,000; WTA Premier*
Indoor hard court
Draw is here
The WTA has been hit particularly hard by the pandemic: The entirety of its fall swing through Asia has been cancelled, including, at least for now, the tour’s year-end championships in Shenzhen. So it’s no surprise that Ostrava would draw a strong field. Elina Svitolina, Karolina Pliskova, Aryna Sabalenka, Victoria Azarenka, Petra Martic, Elena Rybakina, Elise Mertens and Anett Kontaveit are the top eight seeds. Enjoy seeing these players while you can: As it stands now, this will be the last WTA tournament until Linz begins on November 9.
First-round matches to watch: Ons Jabeur vs. Barbora Strycova; Martic vs. Jelena Ostapenko; Mertens vs. Amanda Anisimova; Katerina Siniakova vs. Coco Gauff; Dayana Yastremska vs. Jennifer Brady
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*Cologne, Germany
$500,000; ATP 250*
Indoor hard court
Draw is here
A tournament so nice they decided to do it twice. In the past, Cologne had been conspicuously missing from the ATP calendar. Now, with so much travel curtailed and most of Asia off-limits, the men will gather inside its bubble for a second straight week. Alexander Zverev, champion at the first go-round, is the top seed, followed by Diego Schwartzman, Denis Shapovalov and Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Bad news: Andy Murray had to pull out of this event with a hip problem.
First-round match to watch: Jannik Sinner vs. Hubert Hurkacz
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*Antwerp, Belgium
$700,000; ATP 250*
Indoor hard court
Draw is here
The ATP’s other 250 also has a solid field, led by David Goffin, Pablo Carreño Busta, Karen Khachanov, Grigor Dimitrov and Milos Raonic.
First-round matches to watch: Alex de Minaur vs. Richard Gasquet; Frances Tiafoe vs. Dusan Lajovic; Taylor Fritz vs. best-man-at-his-wedding Reilly Opelka
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