The Week Ahead: What is next after US Open with San Diego Open, return to Asia and Davis Cup

Tennis News
Sunday, 10 September 2023 at 22:30
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The week ahead which begins on 11th September sees the continuation of WTA action with the San Diego Open, Japan Open as well as Davis Cup action continuing as the post US Open tournaments begin in earnest barring for ATP players.

Next up for ATP will be the Chengdu Open and Zhuhai Championships, the Laver Cup also begins in the same week. But barring those who will play Davis Cup, the action is limited. In this preview, it sees the storylines looked at and the main names involved analyzed.

San Diego Open featuring many players looking for redemption arcs

The main tournament in the WTA remains in North America with the San Diego Open taking top billing as a WTA 500. A tournament heavily affected by being shifted to the week after the US Open, it has Iga Swiatek as defending champion; albeit she will not return to reclaim the surfboard.

Instead Ons Jabeur leads proceedings. She could face Alycia Parks or Anastasia Potapova in the second round with a likely third round against Sofia Kenin or Veronika Kudermetova.

Jabeur hasn't looked the same since her Wimbledon heartbreak and has been crestfallen almost. But she will hope to put a run together to remove those blues in a field full of players with a similar feeling.

Caroline Garcia is another. A year ago after winning Cincinnati and reaching the semi-finals at Flushing Meadows, the Frenchwoman was on the crest of a wave. But the WTA Finals as it did for Garbine Muguruza the year before, was a curse more than a blessing. The biggest title of her career, but one like the previous winner that she won't defend.

Hardly finding wins and losing early to Wang Yafan albeit with personal problems in the form of a family bereavement meaning other issues were on her mind. After returning from France, she will look to regain her form and faces either Sloane Stephens or Elise Mertens in the second round.

Maria Sakkari similarly broke down in tears in her press conference and was slumped for answers when it came to her form woes. A player albeit with trouble winning titles, but similar to the Jessica Pegula consistency mould of always being there or thereabouts, that has now gone.

Early defeats are more of a common theme and has left the Greek for the first time since her ascent up the WTA Rankings searching for answers. She will face a qualifier with her likely biggest threat coming in the third round in a section featuring Jasmine Paolini or Belinda Bencic.

But compared to the other big seeds, it is a fairly simple route through, so potential room for the confidence to return.

Others involved include slayer of Iga Swiatek, Jelena Ostapenko, Danielle Collins, Karolina Pliskova, Beatriz Haddad Maia facing Leylah Fernandez. A stacked field considering circumstances.

Japan Open suffers on return to Asia

Albeit suffering as a result more of the tight turnaround between the US Open is the Japan Open. The WTA finally returns to Asia after the issues surrounding Peng Shuai and they will soon return to China too.

But the WTA 250 does not see the big names involved with Lin Zhu leading the field, she is followed by Tatjana Maria, Anna Kalinskaya and Xinyu Wang in particular.

Peyton Stearns in particular was due to play in Osaka, but of course likely a legacy of her latter stage run on home soil, she has delayed returning.

These fields will likely also continue for a few weeks, with Guadalajara in particular coming up which is a WTA 1000 and players seemingly preferring at least for new to remain in North America.

Davis Cup action name of the game for ATP players

While Carlos Alcaraz is now out of the Davis Cup and Novak Djokovic could easily follow, there is still a strong field of players heading into battle for their countries.

Holger Rune (Denmark), Stefanos Tsitsipas (Greece) and Alexander Zverev (Germany) will lead their countries. Andy Murray too will play despite initially having doubts about his inclusion after a crest fallen US Open.

Alexander Bublik (Kazakhstan), Hubert Hurkacz (Poland) and Dominic Thiem (Austria) are also among those involved. If Djokovic does make it, it could make Davis Cup even more must watch.

But as it is the Davis Cup Finals Group Stage will begin this next week as the only men's action before China takes centre stage and then the Laver Cup.

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