The player lineup has been announced for the Credit One Charleston Open, which marks the start of the Hologic WTA Tour`s clay-court season. This tournament is the first WTA 500 event on clay this year.
Nine of the world`s Top 20 players are set to compete in Charleston, South Carolina, aiming for the prestigious title on its well-known green clay courts.
Main matches are scheduled to begin on Monday, March 31. The top 16 seeded players will have a bye in the first round.
Here’s a summary of the draw highlights:
First Quarter
Seeds: [1] Jessica Pegula, [7] Danielle Collins, [11] Jelena Ostapenko, [16] Peyton Stearns
Jessica Pegula, currently ranked No. 4 globally and the top seed, leads this section. Pegula has reached the Charleston semifinals in the past two years and is still seeking her first final appearance here. After her first-round bye, her initial match will be against either Heather Watson (wild card) or a qualifier.
Danielle Collins, the defending champion and No. 7 seed, is positioned at the opposite end of this quarter. To make another deep run, she might face several familiar Charleston competitors. If Collins advances to the Round of 16, she could potentially play against Jelena Ostapenko (2017 runner-up) or Belinda Bencic (2022 champion).
Second Quarter
Seeds: [3] Zheng Qinwen, [6] Diana Shnaider, [9] Ekaterina Alexandrova, [13] Elise Mertens
Zheng Qinwen, the reigning Olympic gold medalist and No. 3 seed, headlines this quarter. She faces a tough challenge early on if she hopes to continue her success on clay. Her first match is set to be in the second round against either Maria Sakkari, a former World No. 3, or Marina Stakusic, a rising Canadian player aged 20.
Diana Shnaider, seeded No. 6, is located on the other side of this quarter and might encounter No. 9 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova in the Round of 16. Alexandrova previously enjoyed an eight-match winning streak this year.
Third Quarter
Seeds: [4] Emma Navarro, [8] Amanda Anisimova, [10] Yulia Putintseva, [15] Ashlyn Krueger
Emma Navarro, a local Charleston player, is seeded No. 4, her highest ever at this home tournament. Her second-round opponent will be either fellow American Hailey Baptiste or Aussie Olivia Gadecki.
Amanda Anisimova, the No. 8 seed who claimed this year`s first WTA 1000 title in Doha, is on the opposite side of this quarter. She may have to compete against Veronika Kudermetova, the 2021 champion, in the second round, provided Kudermetova defeats wild card Maria Mateas.
Fourth Quarter
Seeds: [2] Madison Keys, [5] Daria Kasatkina, [12] Magdalena Frech, [14] Anna Kalinskaya
Madison Keys and Daria Kasatkina, both of whom have achieved significant career milestones in Charleston, are positioned at opposite ends of the bottom quarter of the draw.
Keys, seeded No. 2, reached her first clay-court final here a decade ago in 2015 and won the Charleston title in 2019. This marks her 11th appearance at the event, and she enters as a Grand Slam champion for the first time, having won this year`s Australian Open and achieved a career-high ranking of No. 5.
Kasatkina, seeded No. 5, secured her first career title here in 2017 by defeating Ostapenko in a final that was seen as a glimpse into the future of tennis. This tournament will also be Kasatkina`s first representing her new nation, Australia.
Sofia Kenin, another Grand Slam champion and the 2020 Australian Open winner, is also in this quarter. She is set to face fellow American Bernarda Pera in the first round.
Rupert Caldwell