WTA PREVIEW 2024 ASB Classic Auckland featuring horrific draw as Elina SVITOLINA, Caroline WOZNIACKI and Emma RADUCANU all drawn together
WTA
Taking place between January 1-7, 2024, the ASB Classic in Auckland is one of the main tournaments during a busy week of WTA action. But one that saw a horrific draw picked out and a nightmare for tournament organisers.
Ironically by the player who was picking out the numbers so it was unintentional. One of the main selling points of the ASB Classic is US Open champion Coco Gauff who will look to defend her title, but the main discourse has surrounded the two returning mothers in Caroline Wozniacki and Elina Svitolina as well as Emma Raducanu.
Svitolina picks out worst draw possible
Being a WTA 250, there aren't many standouts outside of the top names in the field especially with many in Brisbane or at United Cup but like alluded to there is a leading trio outside of Gauff. But all were drawn together.
Emma Raducanu in her first action since April 2023 will face a qualifier in the opening round. But it won't get any easier for the former US Open champion as she will face either Svitolina or Wozniacki in the second round.
The landmark tie of the opening round, it sees the former Australian Open champion in Wozniacki face Svitolina who had such a terrific return to the court in 2023 reaching the latter stages in all Grand Slams she played and shooting up the rankings winning Comeback Player of the Year returning to the top 25. She was picking the numbers and while it was laughter as qualifier after qualifier was picked out, this left three players at the bottom of the draw.
Coco Gauff as defending champion on the other hand was in that myriad of qualifiers and will face Claire Liu, but barring that a fairly simple route through as she looks to defend her title. The other top tie saw Amanda Anisimova who herself also returns after spending most of 2023 away with a mental health break before seemingly turning her back on tennis to study will return.
She faces Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the other top first round tie. Anisimova hit the heights at a young age and even in her final year on tour reached the Quarter-Finals at Wimbledon but cited mental health struggles and burnout as the reason behind her stint away. At only 22, she has took time to refresh and is back ready for Australia and New Zealand and will face a tough test herself in returning.
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