MATCH NOTES: WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN CINCINNATI, OH, USA | AUG 16 - 22, 2021 | USD $1,835,490 | WTA1000 WTA Website: www.wtatennis.com | @WTA | facebook.com/wta Tournament Website: www.wsopen.com WTA Communications: Catherine Sneddon ([email protected]), Estelle LaPorte ([email protected]), Jessica Culbreath([email protected]) You can now download the WTA’s new live scoring app to receive real time match and tournament updates from across the Tour. In addition to play-by-play score updates, WTA Scores offer the latest rankings and the Porsche Race to Shenzhen Leaderboard, as well as match stats provided by SAP, draw sheets and daily orders of play. WTA Scores is available on iOS and Android devices and can be downloaded on Apple’s App Store or Google Play. DAY 2 MATCH-UPS [MAGDA LINETTE (POL #44) VS. [12] SIMONA HALEP (ROU #13) Halep leads 1-0 Linette looking for third win this year over a Top 20 opponent… Halep is a three-time finalist, losing the title match here in 2015, 2017 and 2018… [Q] HSIEH SU-WEI (TPE #73) VS. CORI GAUFF (USA #24) First meeting Hsieh Su-Wei defeated two American women in qualifying – can she defeat another one today? Gauff looking for first win at Western & Southern Open… [Q] LIUDMILA SAMSONOVA (RUS #52) VS. [14] VICTORIA AZARENKA (BLR #15) Samonsova leads 1-0 Samsonova is making her Cincinnati main draw debut and playing at career-high No.52… Azarenka is defending champion having won the title in 2020… also was triumphant here in 2013 [1] ASHLEIGH BARTY (AUS #1) VS. [Q] HEATHER WATSON (GBR #67) First meeting Barty bidding to be first No.1 to win Western & Southern Open since Serena in 2015… Watson is 0-3 in career vs. World No.1s… [Q] CAROLINE GARCIA (FRA #63) VS. [WC] SLOANE STEPHENS (USA #62) Garcia leads 3-1 The pair now have a combined 17 main draw appearances here…Garcia is making her seventh main draw appearance here… Stephens her tenth… Please note – rankings reflect week of Monday August 9, 2021 Follow WTA on Twitter: www.twitter.com/WTA Facebook: www.facebook.com/WTA YouTube: www.youtube.com/WTA 1 MATCH NOTES: WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN CINCINNATI, OH, USA | AUG 16 - 22, 2021 | USD $1,835,490 | WTA1000 WTA Website: www.wtatennis.com | @WTA | facebook.com/wta Tournament Website: www.wsopen.com WTA Communications: Catherine Sneddon ([email protected]), Estelle LaPorte ([email protected]), Jessica Culbreath ([email protected]) You can now download the WTA’s new live scoring app to receive real time match and tournament updates from across the Tour. In addition to play-by-play score updates, WTA Scores offer the latest rankings and the Porsche Race to Shenzhen Leaderboard, as well as match stats provided by SAP, draw sheets and daily orders of play. WTA Scores is available on iOS and Android devices and can be downloaded on Apple’s App Store or Google Play. MAGDA LINETTE (POL #44) VS. [12] SIMONA HALEP (ROU #13) Head-to-head: HALEP leads 1-0 2019 ROLAND GARROS CLAY (O) R64 SIMONA HALEP 6-4 5-7 6-3 LINETTE HALEP Career Prize Money $3,225,213 Career Prize Money $37,581,677 Plays Right-handed Plays Right-handed Date of Birth (Age) Feb. 12, 1992 (29) Date of Birth (Age) September 27, 1991 (29) Singles Titles 2 Singles Titles 22 Tournament W-L (MD) 0-2 Tournament W-L (MD) 21-8 YTD / Career W-L (MD) 10-12 / 102-117 YTD / Career W-L (MD) 11-7 / 404-178 3-Set W-L (YTD / Career) 2-8 / 40-44 3-Set (YTD / Career) 3-2 / 114-58 Tie-Break W-L (YTD / Career) 2-0 / 32-19 Tie-Break (YTD / Career) 0-0 / 51-53 Hard Court W-L (YTD / Career) 3-4 / 85-76 Hard Court (YTD / Career) 7-2 / 227-110 Top 20 W-L (YTD / Career) 2-3 / 3-25 Top 20 W-L (YTD / Career) 2-3 / 104-80 Coach Pawel Rzepecki Coach Darren Cahill LINETTE: Cincinnati • Making third main draw appearance (sixth overall) at the Western & Southern Open • Has fallen in 1r in both instances in 2017 (as qualifier, l. Abanda) and 2020 (l. Zvonareva); also fell in qualifying in 2016, 2018-19 • Faces Halep today in 1r; fell to the Romanian when they met at 2019 Roland Garros, however saved three match points in the second set before forcing her to a deciding third set • Looking for third win this year over a Top 20 opponent; so far has defeated No.1 Barty who retired during their 2r match at Roland Garros and took out No.5 Svitolina in 2r of Wimbledon • Most recent loss to a Top 20 opponent came to No.3 Sabalenka in 1r of the Olympics • Missed first hard court tournaments of the year due to a right knee injury, made 2021 debut at Miami • With Swiatek, is one of two players from Poland this week • Playing doubles here with American Pera as a wildcard team, set to face Stosur/Zhang in 1r Season • Coming off QF run at San Jose (l. Kasatkina) and 1r exit at Montreal (l. Podoroska) • Defeated in 1r at the Olympics (l. Sabalenka) Follow WTA on Twitter: www.twitter.com/WTA Facebook: www.facebook.com/WTA YouTube: www.youtube.com/WTA 1 MATCH NOTES: WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN CINCINNATI, OH, USA | AUG 16 - 22, 2021 | USD $1,835,490 | WTA1000 • Fell at first hurdle in qualifying at Eastbourne before advancing to 3r at Wimbledon (l. Badosa) • Returned to form with runs to SF at Strasbourg (l. Cirstea) and 3r at Roland Garros (l. Jabeur) • Suffered 1r exits at Madrid (l. S.Zheng) and Rome (l. Kvitova) • Fell 1r at both WTA events in Charleston, first at Volvo Car Open (l. Anisimova) and then MUSC Health Women's Open (l. Osorio Serrano) • Opened 2021 campaign with 2r showing at Miami (l. Konta) • Missed the start of the season due to right knee injury Career Milestones • Won second WTA singles title at Hua Hin in 2020 (d. Kung in F), rising to new career-high ranking of No.33 (on February 17) • Posted best result at US Open by advancing to 3r (l. Kontaveit); now has reached this stage at all four Grand Slams • Winner of 2020 WTA Shot of the Year; became the third Polish woman to win this award (after A.Radwanska and Swiatek) • Her 2019 campaign was highlighted by lifting maiden WTA title at the Bronx and finished RUp at Seoul (l. Muchova); broke into Top 50 on September 9, 2019 • Season highlights in 2018 included QF run at Washington DC (l. Vekic); win over No.17 Osaka in 2r was first Top 20 victory – previous careerbest win came over No.21 Gavrilova at 2017 Tokyo [PPO] • Posted first career victories at 2018 Australian Open during 3r run (d. Brady in 1r and No.22 seed Kasatkina in 2r, l. Allertova) • Highlight of 2017 campaign was SF at Kuala Lumpur (l. Hibino). Also made QF at Bogotá and reached 3r at major for first time at Roland Garros • In 2016 enjoyed run to first Premier-level quarterfinal of career at Tokyo [PPO] (as qualifier, l. eventual champion Wozniacki); also advanced to QF at Katowice (l. Parmentier) • Reached maiden WTA singles final at 2015 Tokyo [Japan Open] (l. Wickmayer) • Broke into Top 100 on June 15, 2015 • Played first two WTA main draws in 2013: 2r at Strasbourg (l. Cornet) and SF at Baku (l. Peer) • Made professional debut on ITF Circuit in Poland in 2007; owns 12 singles titles and eight doubles titles on ITF Circuit HALEP: Cincinnati • Making ninth main draw appearance at Cincinnati (tenth overall) as a three-time finalist reaching the last match in 2015 (l. S.Williams), 2017 (l. Muguruza) and 2018 (l. Bertens) • Most recently fell in 3r of 2019 to eventual champion Keys ending a six-year streak of reaching at least the QF here dating back to 2013 • Faces Linette in 1r today looking for first win since returning from a calf injury that has kept her sidelined since May Follow WTA on Twitter: www.twitter.com/WTA Facebook: www.facebook.com/WTA YouTube: www.youtube.com/WTA 2 MATCH NOTES: WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN CINCINNATI, OH, USA | AUG 16 - 22, 2021 | USD $1,835,490 | WTA1000 • Has not lost to a player outside the Top 40 all year which she did most recently at 2020 Roland Garros falling to No.54 and eventual champion, Swiatek, in the R16 • Best hardcourt results of the year have come from QF runs at the first two tournaments at the Gippsland Trophy (l. Alexandrova) and the Australian Open (l. S.Williams); has since gone 1-1 on the surface with sole win coming at Miami defeating Garcia in the 2r (after 1r bye) before withdrawing ahead of 3r match against Sevastova with a right shoulder injury • Is sole remaining Romanian in the draw after compatriot, Cirstea, lost her 1r match yesterday to Teichmann Season • Fell in 2r of Montreal (after 1r bye, l. Collins) in her first match since May • Tore calf muscle in 2r match in Rome against Kerber that cause her to withdraw from Roland Garros and miss the entire grass court season • Upset in 3r at Madrid (l. Mertens) • Kicked off clay court campaign with SF run at Stuttgart (l. Sabalenka) • Withdrew w/right shoulder injury prior to 3r match against Sevastova at Miami • Pulled out of Doha and Dubai w/back injury • At Australian Open, reached 15th Grand Slam QF (l. S.Williams) • Opened 2021 season with a QF showing at the Gippsland Trophy (l.