‘So many great players.’ Kentucky’s pro tennis tournament promises clash of champions.
The bubble has been constructed, the stars have arrived and a unique event is set to kick off in Central Kentucky.
The Top Seed Open main draw gets underway at the Top Seed Tennis Club in Nicholasville on Monday and the early rounds of the $225,000 Women’s Tennis Association tournament appear poised to feature multiple clashes between decorated champions; the four most accomplished athletes in the 32-player singles field are all in the same quarter of the bracket.
Because of safety concerns related to the coronavirus pandemic fans are not allowed, but the tournament will be televised on the Tennis Channel. In addition to the singles competition, there will be a 16-team doubles field.
No. 1 seed Serena Williams, the 23-time Grand Slam champion who is currently No. 9 in the world in the WTA rankings, faces unseeded Bernarda Pera in the first round. Assuming Williams avoids a shocking upset, an intriguing matchup awaits in the round of 16.
Venus Williams, sister to Serena and who has won seven Grand Slam titles and is ranked No. 67 in the world, faces two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka, ranked 58th, in the opening round.
Should the Williams sisters meet, it would be the 31st time they’ve faced off in singles competition. Serena leads the sibling series 18-12.
No. 37 Sloane Stephens, winner of the 2017 U.S. Open and six total WTA singles titles, is the tournament’s No. 7 seed. If the seeds hold through the first two rounds, she would face Serena Williams in the quarterfinals.
Stephens was stoked to join the field for the Top Seed Open, which will be the first sanctioned women’s or men’s professional tennis tournament in the United States since the coronavirus pandemic shut down sports across the globe in March.
“When they said they were going to have this tournament (near) Lexington, obviously a great opportunity to put more jobs on the table for the players who haven’t been able to play in the states,” Stephens said during a Zoom teleconference on Saturday. “It’s a great little swing going into … the U.S. Open, going into that bubble. Good opportunities all around and I think everyone was happy with how quick they were able to pull this together.”
The newly constructed Top Seed Tennis Club, located just outside Lexington at 777 E. Brannon Road, includes 12 indoor and nine outdoor courts, a 4,000-square foot gym and yoga studio, player lounges and fully equipped locker rooms among other amenities. The club worked with the WTA to organize the Top Seed Open as a warm-up act for the 2020 U.S. Open, which will kick off in New York City on Aug. 31.
Taking a cue from the NBA, tournament organizers have created a “bubble” environment to keep players as safe as possible amid the pandemic. When not at the tennis facility, players will be restricted to their hotel.
“I have no idea that I’m in Kentucky because I don’t see anything besides the hotel and the tennis facility, so I couldn’t tell you anything of my impression of the city or any atmosphere besides what we now call ‘the bubble,’” Azarenka told the media during a Zoom teleconference. “There’s a lot of restrictions for our safety … You’re not supposed to get out anywhere besides your hotel. So Uber Eats, Postmates, Instacart, all those services are at hand now.
“For me personally, for about 10 days I’ll be OK with doing this. Longer, tournament after tournament, I think it will be a little bit tough to just sit in your room and see a tennis court … But right now this is what is important to do to keep everybody safe.”
While the future is uncertain, Azarenka is happy to be competing in Kentucky in the present.
“I’m just here in Lexington … trying to do my best. I’m actually excited to play,” Azarenka said. “You can practice for so long, but there’s nothing like playing actual matches. … It’s going to be a super competitive field here, so many great names and so many great players. It’s going to be a great opportunity to have some good matches with such high-quality players.”
Top Seed Open
When: Monday through Sunday
Where: Top Seed Tennis Club in Nicholasville
TV: Tennis Channel (no spectators)
Top Seed Open
Monday’s matches
CENTER COURT (starts at 10 a.m.)
Qualifying: [1] K. Ahn (USA) vs J. Jovic (SRB)
Not before 11:30 a.m.
[6] M. Linette (POL) vs L. Davis (USA)
[8] O. Jabeur (TUN) vs [WC] C. Mcnally (USA)
M. Bouzkova (CZE) vs [3] J. Konta (GBR)
M. Brengle (USA) vs [2] A. Sabalenka (BLR)
COURT 2 (starts at 10 a.m.)
Qualifying: [WC] J. Loeb (USA) vs [7] C. Dolehide (USA)
Qualifying: [3] A. Kalinskaya (RUS) vs [9] U. Arconada (USA)
Not before 12:30 p.m.
J. Brady (USA) vs H. Watson (GBR)
J. Pegula (USA) vs [WC] V. Zvonareva (RUS)
Q. Gleason (USA) / C. Harrison (USA) vs [4] H. Carter (USA) / L. Stefani (BRA)
COURT 3 (starts at 10 a.m.)
Qualifying: [5] F. di Lorenzo (USA) vs [8] O. Govortsova (BLR)
Not before 11:30 a.m.
Qualifying: [6] A. Li (USA) or R. Anderson (USA) vs [WC] B. Mattek-Sands (USA) or [12] V. Lepchenko (USA)
Qualifying: [4] L. Fernandez (CAN) or R. Zarazua (MEX) vs [10] A. Rodionova (AUS)
After suitable rest, if needed
E. Bektas (USA) / T. Moore (GBR) vs [WC] B. Mattek-Sands (USA) / S. Stephens (USA)
This story was originally published August 9, 2020 at 4:15 PM.
