The 2017 Swiss Open – also known as the Ladies’ Championship Gstaad – is about to commence. Players seeking a good week on clay against a modest field will try to gain rankings points and a sense that their tennis can function in match-play situations. Players who did not go deep at Wimbledon can get some matches under their belt at this tournament.
The competition in the 32-player main draw begins on Monday, July 17.
Event Details
Event: WTA Swiss Open (Gstaad)
Category: WTA International tier
Date: July 17-23, 2017
Location: Roy Emerson Arena – Gstaad, Switzerland
The 2017 Swiss Open comes right after Wimbledon. A complication is that since Wimbledon finished later this season, there is not much of a break before the Canada Premier tournament known as the Rogers Cup, which will be held for the women in Toronto. That short amount of time means that in the transition to hardcourts, a lot of big-name players will take this week off so they can get ready. The prize money is $250,000, standard for an international level tournament.
Points
Champion – 280
Runner-up – 180
Semifinal – 110
Quarterfinal – 60
Round of 16 – 30
Former Champions and Results (1 Year)
Year Champion Runner-up Score
2016 – Viktorija Golubic def. Kiki Bertens – 4-6, 6-4, 6-3
This event was not held from 1995-2015
Player Info
Caroline Garcia, who was once tipped by Andy Murray as a future world number one, is slowly starting to realize her vast potential this year. Garcia may have lost in the fourth round to local favorite Johanna Konta at Wimbledon, but she didn’t go away without putting up stern resistance. The match saw everything from big serves to offensive returns to amazing rallies, although they were short on most occasions. Garcia should be frustrated she couldn’t make most of her momentum, but she can also be proud that she went down swinging.
Garcia next plays in Gstaad, where she is now the top seed after Timea Bacsinszky decided to withdraw from the tournament. Garcia reached the quarterfinals of her home slam in Paris, so she is no slouch on dirt. If she can play to her potential, there is no doubt who will lift the trophy.
Kiki Bertens is ranked 24th in the world, has won a title this year, and is 22-17 for the season, but her recent form doesn’t inspire any confidence. Bertens is coming to Gstaad after a first round Wimbledon loss to Sorana Cirstea. She lost in the finals of this tournament to local Swiss Viktorija Golubic last year. This year, she’ll be desperate to go one better. However, her results have been mediocre in the past few months and it will be a huge surprise if she even gets to the semifinals.
Anett Kontaveit has all the reason to be disappointed after a heart crushing three-set loss to Caroline Wozniacki in the third round of Wimbledon. Kontaveit had the Dane on the ropes but just couldn’t close her out. She served for the match twice and couldn’t get it done either time. It takes determination and focus to win tennis matches. While Kontaveit displayed grit, she lacked focus. Sometimes a loss teaches players more than a straightforward victory. Kontaveit was taught a lesson the hard way.
For a young tennis player of her age, she needed that kind of defeat to educate herself. The next time she finds herself in that situation, she knows she’ll have to be on her toes. When the Estonian next plays in Gstaad, everyone will find out if she has recovered from that shattering loss.
In 2016, Viktorija Golubic completed her dream run by winning her first WTA title at the inaugural Ladies Championship in Gstaad. To the delight of the pro-Swiss crowd, the local overcame a one-set deficit to defeat Kiki Bertens in a battle that lasted two hours.
Back then, Golubic was ranked outside the top 100 and played without feeling any pressure or any care in the world. This year, she is well within the top 100 at number 73 in the world. Her challenge will be to defend her title. If Golubic manages to defend it, it will speak a lot about her mental strength.
Roy Emerson Arena
The Gstaad tennis facility hosts a men’s tournament along with the women. Emerson won several times in Gstaad during his playing days, so the 12-time men’s major champion has his name on this court, an outdoor court with no awnings or protective covers which sits in the middle of the Swiss Alps. The main stadium court seats 4,500 people.
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