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Following a truncated grasscourt swing, tennis action returns to hardcourts in Prague. The 12th edition of the Prague Open is set to be played at the TK Sparta Praha indoor stadium between 12-18 July and will feature several top names of the women's game, including Petra Kvitova and Barbora Krejcikova.
Also in the mix are a slew of other home favorites like Marketa Vondrousova, Marie Bouzkova and Tereza Martincova, as well as the likes of Hsieh Su-Wei and Samantha Stosur. With main draw action set to begin on Monday, here is a look at the prospects of the big names in the fray.
Top half: Former champion Petra Kvitova looks to regain her crown
Top-seeded players: [1] Petra Kvitova, [4] Marie Bouzkova, [6] Hsieh Su-Wei and [8] Tereza Martincova
Expected semifinal: Petra Kvitova vs Marie Bouzkova
Dark horse: Hsieh Su-wei
Analysis: Top seed Petra Kvitova is set to open her Prague campaign against a qualifier. The Czech, who would be keen to move past her disappointing first-round exit from Wimbledon, has a relatively easy path up until the quarterfinals.
If the seeds hold, Kvitova could run into a resurgent Tereza Martincova in the last-eight. Having returned from an injury she suffered in 2019, Martincova has had a strong season in 2021.
The 26-year-old recently reached the third round of Wimbledon, and will enter her home tournament brimming with confidence.
Elsewhere in this quarter, Marie Bouzkova and Hsieh Su-wei are on a collision course. Neither woman has had the best build-up, but they would both fancy their chances of a strong showing here.
Bouzkova, however, also needs to be wary of the likes of Storm Sanders and a fast-improving Nuria Parrizas-Diaz. Hsieh, too, could face a stern test in a possible second-round against Romania's Elena Gabriela Ruse, who is scheduled to play her first singles final in Hamburg on Sunday.
Predicted semifinal: Petra Kvitova def. Marie Bouzkova
Bottom half: Barobora Krejcikova, Marketa Vondrousova and Katerina Siniakova lead the home charge
Top-seeded players: [2] Barbora Krejcikova, [3] Marketa Vondrousova, [5] Katerina Siniakova and [7] Nina Stojanovic
Expected semifinal: Barbora Krejcikova vs Marketa Vondrousova
Dark horse: Katerina Siniakova
Analysis: Barbora Krejcikova will look to carry her rich vein of form into her home tournament. The second seed is set to face the winner of the all-Belgian first-round match between Greet Minnen and Ysaline Bonaventure.
Both Minnen and Bonaventure have had a strong season so far, and could well cause a few problems for Krejcikova.
Things don't get any easier for the Czech after that, as her doubles partner and 5th seed Katerina Sinaikova looms in the quarterfinals.
Third seed Marketa Vondrousova, meanwhile, has been given plenty of breathing room in her section of the draw. The former Roland Garros finalist can't face a top-100 opponent until the quarterfinals, and she could use the opening couple of matches to fine-tune her game.
But Vondrousova might want to be wary of the talented 19-year-old Wang Xiu in the second round. And her projected opponent in the last-eight, seventh seed Nina Stojanovic, should have enough in the tank to get past the likes of Vitalia Diatchenko and Samantha Stosur early on.
Predicted semifinal: Barbora Krejcikova def. Marketa Vondrousova
Prediction for final
Petra Kvitova def. Barbora Krejcikova
