The 2017 Connecticut Open is the final WTA Tour stop before the U.S. Open. The women’s U.S. Open will be very open, as in wide open. So many contenders will have a shot at an event without Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka. Maria Sharapova got a wild card, but she doesn’t figure to have much of a chance of doing anything. Can any player in New Haven develop momentum which can carry into New York a week later?
While we’re not going to see many big names at this week’s event, what we are looking for is momentum. Players who struggle here will be players that we will avoid betting at the final grand slam of the season. However, players that look good here and make a run are players that we’ll be eyeing to do something similar at Flushing Meadows.
The competition in the 32-player main draw will begin on Sunday, August 20.
Event Details
Event: Connecticut Open
Category: WTA Premier Level
Date: August 20-26, 2017
Location: Cullman-Heyman Tennis Center – Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut
With a prize money allotment of just under $711,000, this tournament does not have a maximum purse for a premier level event. The Stuttgart clay premier tournament, held in Germany in April, gets about an $800,000 purse. Nevertheless, players come here for a pleasant experience. The tournament directors are well respected. This is a fixture on the tour in a quiet setting. Players get to work on their games before the U.S. Open if they haven’t been taxed by Cincinnati too much. It’s a popular tour stop.
Points
Champion – 470 points
Runner-up – 305
Semifinal – 185
Quarterfinal – 100
Round-of-16 – 55 points
Former Champions and Results (5 Years)
Year Champion Runner-up Score
2016: Agnieszka Radwanska def. Elina Svitolina – 6-1, 7-6
2015: Petra Kvitova def. Lucie Safarova – 6-7, 6-2, 6-2
2014: Petra Kvitova def. Magdalena Rybarikova – 6-4, 6-2
2013: Simona Halep def. Petra Kvitova – 6-2, 6-2
2012: Petra Kvitova def. Maria Kirilenko – 7-6, 7-5
Player Info:
There are eight seeded players at this event, but only four of them are particularly compelling, since top-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska is in a career tailspin.
Start with second-seeded Dominika Cibulkova. She won the WTA Finals last year and is one of those players who can always jump up and spring to life at any point in time. She is very streaky and erratic, but when she is in great form, it is hard to knock her out. She is a dangerous player at this event and will be hard to ignore at the U.S. Open. Cibulkova has had a very pedestrian year on the season, going 19-17. The good news is she has a winning record on the hard courts (13-9), even though she has a losing record on clay (2-3) and grass (2-4).
Third seed Petra Kvitova made four straight finals at this event from 2012 through 2015. She loves playing in New Haven. Will a big run in New York be preceded by a familiar run through this bracket?She did look good in the grass court part of the season, going 6-1. However, she is just 3-3 on the hard courts so far this season. A good showing here would be encouraging for the U.S. Open.
Kristina Mladenovic made a U.S. Open quarterfinal. She reached the French Open quarterfinals earlier this year. She was viewed as a threat to win that title, but since that Roland Garros loss, she hasn’t been the same player. Can she experience a rebirth in Connecticut? She is 11-9 on the hard courts this season but was 9-3 on clay and 6-4 on grass.
Finally, Elena Vesnina is not to be forgotten at the No. 5 seeding slot. Remember that she won the Indian Wells singles title. A world-class doubles player, Vesnina has notched some memorable accomplishments in singles over the past 15 months. She is crafty enough that she can bother younger players, and if she can find some range on her forehand, she could be difficult to deal with in New Haven. Vesnina is 19-17 in tennis action this season, going 12-8 on the hard courts.
Cullman-Heyman Tennis Center
The New Haven tennis facility at Yale University is polished, modern, spacious and accommodating. Large seats, ample sightlines, 17 courts, and a cozy campus setting make this event attractive not just for players, but also for fans.
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