The 2016 Internationeaux de Strasbourg tournament is about to begin. This is France’s way of hosting a number of middle-level players before they make the short commute to Paris for the French Open a week later. Players who didn’t go very far in Rome and are rusty enough that they can use some match play will try to develop a rhythm before the one clay-court Grand Slam event of the year.
Remember that this is a clay-court event, so you’ll want to bet on players that thrive on this time of surface. The type of players that find success here are usually players who rely on speed and defense to get the job done. Players who rely on big serves and big groundstrokes are ones that usually do well on the hard surface, but on clay, their power shots are limited and slowed. You’ll want to avoid them and bet on the clay-court specialists instead.
This tournament has seen a number of big names hoist the trophy. That includes legends like Steffi Graf, Jennifer Capriati, Lindsay Davenport, Martina Navratilova and Maria Sharapova.
The competition in the 32-player main draw will begin on Sunday, May 15.
Event Details
Event: Internationeaux de Strasbourg
Category: WTA International Level
Date: May 15 – 21, 2016
Location: Strasbourg Tennis Club – Strasbourg, France
With a prize money allotment of $250,000, this tournament is not a draw for the cash. This is about playing some matches before the French Open for players who feel they haven’t played enough or think there’s something they need to work on in their games. For players who played a full week in Rome, generally the kinds of players who are ranked in the top 10, there’s really no need to play in Strasbourg or in other tour events during the week before the French Open. For players who rarely if ever go deep in tournaments and therefore find themselves with a lot of downtime between tournaments, this event makes perfect sense. Fatigue is not a factor. Playing two or three matches before the French Open is a perfect way to warm up. If a player happens to win all five matches, she grabs a tour-level championship, which means something even if she doesn’t then win a bunch of matches in Paris.
The points structure under the WTA system is that for the women, the championship at an International level tour event means 280 points. A runner-up finish is worth 180. A semifinal result is 110 points, and a quarterfinal appearance offers 60 points. Round-of-16 results will give 30 points.
Former Champions and Results (5 Years)
Year Champion Runner-up Score
2015 – Samantha Stosur def. Kristina Mladenovic – 3-6, 6-2, 6-3
2014 – Monica Puig def. Silvia Soler Espinosa – 6-4, 6-3
2013 – Alize Cornet def. Lucie Hradecka – 7-6, 6-0
2012 – Francesca Schiavone def. Alize Cornet – 6-4, 6-4
2011 – Andrea Petkovic def. Marion Bartoli – 6-4, 1-0 (ret.)
Player Info:
The top seed is Sara Errani. The next seven top seeds, in order, are Sloane Stephens, Samantha Stosur, Kristina Mladenovic, Monica Niculescu, Camila Giorgi, Elena Vesnina, and Timea Babos. We won’t see Serena Williams here, but what we do have is several women who will make this an intriguing competition. Stephens, Stosur and Errani will be the favorites to win it and it will be a surprise if the winner doesn’t come from one of those three.
Pre-tournament pullouts include Daria Gavrilova, Danka Kovinic, Magdalena Rybarikova, Anna Schmiedlova, Yanina Wickmayer, and Caroline Wozniacki. Replacing them will be Olga Govortsova, Kurumi Nara, Elena Vesnina, Donna Vekic, Zarina Diyas, and Hsieh Su-wei. Gavrilova is the biggest name of the bunch, but it’s unlikely she would have really pushed for a win here. She is 7-3 on clay court action this season but just 11-8 overall.
Strasbourg Tennis Club
The Strasbourg Tennis Club enjoys a rich and lengthy history, dating back to 1921, when 99 members formed the community of tennis enthusiasts which helped nourish and develop the game. The club’s facilities underwent a series of changes and renovations, the most notable one being an expansion which occurred in 1972. This tournament began in 1987 and is entering its 30th edition this year. It’s become a fixture on the WTA Tour.
