sign in sign up
<<
Home , Anastasia Potapova, Anna Kalinskaya, Anna Smith (tennis), Daria Gavrilova, Daria Kasatkina, Kaia Kanepi

PREVIEW NOTES: VTB , | OCTOBER 15 - 20, 2018 | USD $867,766 PREMIER

WTA Website: www.wtatennis.com | @WTA | facebook.com/wta Tournament Website: www.kremlincup.ru | facebook.com/kremlincup WTA Communications: Chris Whitmore ([email protected]), Chase Altieri ([email protected])

SAP Analytics for Media is an online portal that provides real-time data and insights to media during every WTA event and across all devices. Please email [email protected] to request your individual login to grant access to SAP Tennis Analytics for Media.

MOSCOW QUICK FACTS Main draw dates: Monday - Saturday, October 15-20, 2018 Singles Final: Saturday, October 20, 2018, 1:00pm Doubles Final: Friday, October 19, 2018, noon (tbc) Venue: Olympic Stadium Status: WTA Premier event Staging: Tournament’s 25th year Draw sizes: 28 singles / 16 doubles teams / 32 singles qualifying Surface: Hard / Indoors Total prize money: USD $867,766 Tennis Ball: Babolat Team 2017 Singles Final: [7] Julia Goerges (GER) d. (RUS) 6-1 6-2 2017 Doubles Final: [1] Timea Babos/Andrea Sestini Hlavackova (HUN/CZE) d. / (USA/GBR) 6-2 3-6 10-3

PRIZE MONEY AND RANKING POINTS BREAKDOWN RANK RANK SINGLES USD $ DOUBLES USD $ POINTS POINTS Winner 162,010 470 Winner 50,680 470 Runner-Up 86,515 305 Runner-Up 27,075 305 Semifinalist 46,210 185 Semifinalist 14,795 185 Quarterfinalist 24,840 100 Quarterfinalist 7,529 100 Round of 16 13,320 55 Round of 16 4,090 1 Round of 28 8,455 1

RECENT PREVIOUS CHAMPIONS AND RUNNERS-UP YEAR CHAMPION RUNNER-UP 2017 Julia Goerges Daria Kasatkina 2016 2015 Svetlana Kuznetsova 2014 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova Irina-Camelia Begu 2013 2012 Samantha Stosur 2011 Dominika Cibulkova 2010 2009 2008 Jelena Jankovic 2007 If highlighted denotes direct entry into 2018 VTB Kremlin Cup main draw

Follow WTA on Twitter: www.twitter.com/WTA Facebook: www.facebook.com/WTA YouTube: www.youtube.com/WTA

1

PREVIEW NOTES: VTB KREMLIN CUP MOSCOW, RUSSIA | OCTOBER 15 - 20, 2018 | USD $867,766 PREMIER

MAIN DRAW QUICK HITS (excludes qualifiers) Singles wildcards: Simona Halep (ROU), (RUS), (RUS), (USA) Youngest singles player: Anastasia Potapova, 17 (March 21, 2001) Oldest singles player: Mihaela Buzarenescu, 30 (May 4, 1988) Singles withdrawals: , Dominika Cibulkova (right shoulder), Kaia Kanepi (foot injury), (right shoulder), Main draw debutantes: (NED), Mihaela Buzarnescu (ROU), (GBR), (EST), (BEL), Anastasia Potapova (RUS), Sloane Stephens (USA)

TOURNAMENT TALKING POINTS  World No.1 Simona Halep returns to the tournament she won in 2013  Three other Top 10 players are in the draw, Sloane Stephens, Karolina Pliskova and Kiki Bertens. Stephens, along with Halep, will be heading to next week’s WTA Finals in Singapore, while Pliskova and Bertens are battling it out with for the final two places in the draw (full scenario below)  One to watch – Anastasia Potapova. This summer the 17-year-old Potapova reached her first final at the Moscow River Cup, a result she repeated at last month’s , performances which helped her break into the Top 100

SCENARIOS FOR WTA FINALS QUALIFICATION Entering the final week of the regular season, Elina Svitolina and Karolina Pliskova hold the final two spots for Singapore, while Kiki Bertens sits at No.9. Both Pliskova and Bertens are playing in Moscow, while Svitolina is not playing this week.

PRTS POINTS ENTERING MOSCOW 7. Svitolina 3850 8. Pliskova 3840 --- 9. Bertens 3710

Bertens must reach the semifinals to qualify for Singapore. By reaching the semifinals, Bertens would have 3865 pushing her ahead of Svitolina.

Pliskova can secure her qualification if Bertens loses in her opening match (after a first-round bye) or in the quarterfinals. The Czech can also secure her qualification by reaching the semifinals, regardless of other results.

Pliskova (the No.2 seed) and Bertens (the No.4 seed) can both reach the semifinals as they are in opposite halves of the Moscow draw. Should they do so, both would qualify with Svitolina missing out.

SECOND ALTERNATE DECIDED IN MOSCOW The second alternate will also be decided this week in Moscow and will belong to either: Sabalenka Mertens (needs at least SF) Sevastova (needs at least SF) Kasatkina (needs at least F)

Follow WTA on Twitter: www.twitter.com/WTA Facebook: www.facebook.com/WTA YouTube: www.youtube.com/WTA

2

PREVIEW NOTES: VTB KREMLIN CUP MOSCOW, RUSSIA | OCTOBER 15 - 20, 2018 | USD $867,766 PREMIER

TOP FOUR SEEDS’ PREVIOUS TOURNAMENT HISTORY PLAYER TOURNAMENT HISTORY WIN-LOSS WIN % [1] Simona Halep (ROU) WON (1): 2013 (d. Stosur in F) 5-1 .833 2r (1): 2012 (l. Dolonc) [2] Karolina Pliskova (CZE) 2r (1): 2015 (l. Sevastova) 1-2 .333 1r (1): 2014 (l. Mladenovic) [3] Sloane Stephens (USA) First appearance - - [4] Kiki Bertens (NED) First appearance - -

COUNTRY BREAKDOWN (excluding qualifiers) Excluding qualifiers, a total of 15 countries are represented in the main draw, led by Russia with five players:

Australia (2) Daria Gavrilova, Ajla Tomljanovic (1) (1) Elise Mertens (1) Karolina Pliskova (1) Anett Kontaveit (2) Alizé Cornet, Great Britain (1) Johanna Konta Kazakhstan (1) Latvia (1) (1) Kiki Bertens (3) Mihaela Buzarnescu, Irina-Camelia Begu, Simona Halep Russia (5) Anna Kalinskaya, Daria Kasatkina, , Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Anastasia Potapova (1) Magdalena Rybarikova (1) USA (1) Sloane Stephens

Follow WTA on Twitter: www.twitter.com/WTA Facebook: www.facebook.com/WTA YouTube: www.youtube.com/WTA

3