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Wimbledon is only eight days away, and the coming week is the final chance for players to fine-tune their game. While several players ranked outside the top 100 will play in the qualifying draw for SW19, some top names are in contention for the joint ATP and WTA event going on at Eastbourne and s-Hertogenbosch. Here’s a quick preview of the events underway next week.
WTA TOUR
Aegon International – Eastbourne, Great Britain
Eastbourne has been the traditional warm-up event for Wimbledon on the women’s side. And this year as well, 8 of the top 13 players in the world are in the draw. World no. 4 Agnieszka Radwanska, a former champion here and also the reigning Wimbledon runner-up, is the top seed this week, followed by China’s Li Na and German Angelique Kerber.
Former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova will be one to watch for. The powerful left-hander’s game is ideal for grass, but the Czech woman has not had a good season so far. Caroline Wozniacki, Maria Kirilenko, Ana Ivanovic and Nadia Petrova round out the top 8 seeds.
Also keep an eye out for former US Open champion Samantha Stosur, British women Laura Robson and Heather Watson, former Wimbledon finalist and champion here, Marion Bartoli, and defending champion Tamira Paszek. Americans Jamie Hampton, Madison Keys and Melanie Oudin, Puerto Rican teenager Monica Puig and former Wimbledon semi-finalist Mirjana Lucic-Baroni are in the qualifying draw.
TopShelf Open – s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands
30-year-old Roberta Vinci is the top seed at this event. The Italian is ranked a career-high no. 11 and will be looking to break into the top 10 in the coming weeks. Vinci’s slice and dice game should be suited well to the grass, but she will have to get past Brussels champion and former world no. 15 Kaia Janepi in the first round.
Slovakian Dominika Cibulkova, Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro and Belgian Kirsten Flipkens round out the top four seeds. And there are some other big names to watch out for – former world no. 5 Daniela Hantuchova, who reached the Birmingham semis this week, grass court specialists Tsvetana Pironokova and Magdalena Rybarikova, former French Open champion Francesca Schiavone, German teen Annika Beck and Romanian Simona Halep, winner in Nurnberg on Saturday, who meet in the first round. Former Wimbledon quarter-finalist Michaela Krajicek makes her latest comeback event as well. The 24-year-old has played only one event since the US Open – an ITF Futures in April which she won.
ATP TOUR
Aegon International – Eastbourne, Great Britain
With none of the top 10 men in action here, there’s a chance for some of the lower-ranked players to come away with a grass court title and build some confidence heading into Wimbledon. After an early exit in Halle, Canada’s Milos Roanic will be hoping to get some wins under his belt at Eastbourne, where he is the top seed. Gilles Simon, Phillip Kohlschreiber and Juan Monaco complete the top four line-up. Fifth seeded South African Kevin Anderson could be a threat, but he withdrew from Queen’s Club this week. 20-year-old Australian and former Wimbledon quarter-finalist Bernard Tomic will be hoping to revive his season with a good performance this week. Americans James Blake and Ryan Harrison are currently in the final round of the qualifying draw.
TopShelf Open – s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands
David Ferrer
Spain’s David Ferrer, hot in pursuit of Roger Federer’s no. 3 ranking, is the top seed this week, but the Spaniard faces a tough first round against former Wimbledom semi-finalist Xavier Malisse. Ferrer is the two-time defending champion here.
The tournament seems to have attracted a better field than Eastbourne. Stanislas Wawrinka, John Isner and Benoit Paire, who takes on fellow Frenchman Michael Llodra in the first round (the two had a spat at the end of their last match some weeks ago), round out the top four seeds. Fifth seed Jeremy Chardy and sixth seed Marcos Baghdatis can also pose some threat to the top four.
