The 2016 Luxembourg Open is one of the more off-the-radar events on the WTA Tour. The hourglass of the tennis season is running out of sand. Time is winding down on the 2016 tennis season. This tournament is noteworthy simply as a chance for players to leave one more mark upon the year.
The competition in the 28-player main draw began on Monday, October 17.
Event Details
Event: Luxembourg Open
Category: WTA International tier
Date: October 17 – 22, 2016
Location: Kocklelscheuer Sport Centre – Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
The 2016 Luxembourg Open is the 26th edition of the tournament.
With a prize money allotment of just over $226,000, the checkbook component of this tournament is not as considerable as what it is elsewhere on tour. The value of this tournament lies in its simple existence as a chance to continue to play main tennis on the regular tour. These chances are running out.
The points structure under any of the WTA International tier events on the women’s tour will offer 280 player points towards the winner’s ranking, with 180 points going to the tournament’s runner-up. Semifinalists get 110 points, quarterfinalists 60, and round of 16 players 30 points. First round (round of 32) losers get only one point.
Former Champions and Results (5 Years)
Year Champion Runner-up Score
2015 – Misaki Doi def. Mona Barthel – 6-4, 6-7(7), 6-0
2014 – Annika Beck def. Barbora Strycova – 6-2, 6-1
2013 – Caroline Wozniacki def. Annika Beck – 6-2, 6-2
2012 – Venus Williams def. Monica Niculescu – 6-2, 6-3
2011 – Victoria Azarenka def. Monica Niculescu – 6-2, 6-2
Player Info:
Petra Kvitova had a frustrating first half of the season but now she has quietly regained her touch. The mini resurgence started at the U.S. Open, where she made the fourth round. In the Asian swing, she has put up some consistent results. In Wuhan, China, she produced a sensational week, beating world No. 1 Angelique Kerber in three sets, ousting eleventh seed Johanna Konta in straight sets, and decimating world No. 5 Simona Halep, 6-1, 6-2. She then pummeled Dominika Cibulkova, 6-1, 6-1 in 63 minutes, to claim her first title of the season. In Beijing, she dumped second seed Garbine Muguruza in straight sets but in the quarterfinals, she went down to Madison Keys in a three-setter. Overall, it has been a subpar 2016 for Kvitova but she is still on the periphery of the top 10, and will look to end the year in Luxembourg on a high note.
Caroline Wozniacki’s story is not much different than Kvitova’s. Like Kvitova, she had a forgettable first half of the year and at one stage, was in danger of falling out of top 100. The U.S. Open proved to be a catalyst and she hasn’t looked back since. She carried her New York form to Tokyo, where she beat Agneiszka Radwanska on the way to the title. The Dane couldn’t see off Radwanska in Wuhan and Beijing and fell both times to her in straight sets. However, Wozniacki seems to have regrouped from those tough losses and has reached the semifinals at the ongoing Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open. She beat Zheng Saisai 6-1, 6-4, Heather Watson, 6-3, 6-3, and Wang Qiang, 6-3, 7-5. Wozniacki hasn’t looked fully fit in recent weeks but she has kept fighting and kept winning. She will be eager to do the same in Luxembourg.
Misaki Doi would like to delete the last three weeks of her career from her memory. In the opening round of Pan Pacific Open, she was dismissed by her superior compatriot and future star Naomi Osaka in straights sets. In the second round of the China Open, Doi had the misfortune of running into Svetlana Kuznetsova, who took care of her in straight sets. In Linz, Madison Keys completely crushed her, 6-2, 6-0, in the second round. Doi beat Jelena Jankovic and Andrea Petkovic on her way to the title here last year. In 2015, Doi came to Luxembourg on a four match losing streak but played some inspired tennis to capture her first WTA title. In 2016, she has been sloppy again but will she repeat history?
Kocklelscheuer Sport Centre
The building was erected in 1990, especially for this very tournament, just before it began. The stadium court holds 2,500 people in an intimate setting. It’s one of the smaller venues, so the crowd can play a significant part whether they’re loud and boisterous or just calm and quiet.
