We take a look at this week’s Nuremberg Cup which forms part of the WTA Tour taking place between 20 and 27 May.
The WTA Tour heads to Germany for one of the two events that leads up to next week’s French Open. It will form part of the WTA International series and takes us to the red outdoor clay-courts of the Tennis 1 Arena in Nurnberg. This event’s inception came in 2013 with Simona Halep emerging victorious.
Current US Open Champion Sloane Stephens leads the seeds this week, with German Number One and firm home favourite Julia Gorges sure to have a ferocious partisan following. But perhaps the real danger woman in the draw is two-time defending champion Kiki Bertens, who is in compelling form coming into this event. Elsewhere the likes of Shuai Zhang and Katerina Siniakova add lustre to an event that understandably won’t draw an elite roster
Past Winners
2017: Kiki Bertens
2016: Kiki Bertens
2015: Karin Knapp
2014: Eugenie Bouchard
2013: Simona Halep
First Quarter- Projected Quarterfinalists- Sloane Stephens, Sorana Cirstea
Similarly to the ATP event that I previewed this week, the first quarter looks a cut and dry affair, with the somewhat mercurial Sloane Stephens far superior to her opponents. Sorana Cirstea’s sixth seeding is indicative of the relative lack of depth in this event, and I can’t see anyone overcoming Stephens. The Indian Wells Champion is yet to make her bones on clay, but a Round of 16 performance in Madrid does suggest that she is coming to terms with the slower surface.
Player to Advance: Sloane Stephens
Second Quarter- Projected Quarterfinalists- Kiki Bertens, Alison Van Uytvanct
Two-time defending Champion Kiki Bertens comes into this event on the back of excellent recent form. Her victory on the clay in Charleston saw her claim victories over Julia Gorges and Madison Keys, while a brilliant run to the final in Madrid once again highlighted her proficiency on clay. She has got to be the favourite to advance from the first half of the section, particularly giving Stephens’ relative struggles on clay. Van Uytvanct’s season has largely been defined by that win on the clay in Hungary and she shouldn’t present too many problems for one of the hottest properties in women’s tennis at present. Van Uytvanct’s opening match against Kirsten Flipkins has the look of an early exit to me.
Player to Advance: Kiki Bertens
Third Quarter- Projected Quarterfinalists- Shuai Zhang, Katerina Siniakova
Shuai Zhang has incrementally built a fairly impressive season thus far, with many of her best moments coming on clay. Consecutive Round of 32 results in Madrid and Rome reflect her issues when the opposition stiffens. But it is in these such events that she has the capacity to thrive, as indicated by that semi-final appearance in Prague. Katerina Siniakova has enjoyed middling success this far this season, with rare glimpses of the undoubted ability she possesses. That quarterfinal defeat to Petra Kvitova in Prague showed that she has clay-court smarts to her game. But I personally think that she may have a problem against projected Round of 16 opponent Cepede Rogg- that has banana peel written all over it.
Player to Advance: Shuai Zhang
Fourth Quarter- Projected Quarterfinalists- Irina Camelia-Begu, Julia Gorges
As is unfortunately the case with many of the quarters this week, there doesn’t seem to be too much doubt as to the eventual winner. Julia Gorges should power her way through this section, despite the fact that she has a negative head-to-head record against first round opponent Kristina Pliskova. She is playing in front of her home support and has only shown glimpses of her best this year. The semi-final appearance in St Petersburg was bettered by an excellent run to the final in Charleston. Camelia-Begu’s seeding is perhaps mostly indicative of that recent semi-final run in Istanbul, but I wouldn’t be too surprised were she to meet an early exit this week.
Player to Advance: Julia Gorges
