The 2016 Aegon Open Nottingham enters its second edition after this tournament was bumped from the level of an ITF challenger to a WTA Tour stop. This is part of the reorganized calendar which came into existence in 2015. The break between the French Open and Wimbledon moved from two to three weeks. This is one of the new grass-court events which filled the extra week right after the French Open, when the grass season was able to take on an added set of tournaments.
The key to note with this tournament is that it’s part of the transitional part of the season where we move from the clay events in the spring to the grass in the summer. This is one of the events that precedes Wimbledon, which means there will be a lot of attention paid to the form of the players. Of course, this is a smaller event, so the big-name players will be scattered among this event and others, but the key is to see who is performing well and who is in good form. Usually, those performances carry over to Wimbledon, which is the third grand slam of the tennis season.
The competition in this 32-player main draw will begin on Monday, June 6.
Event Details
Event: AEGON Open Nottingham
Category: WTA International Level
Date: June 6 – 12, 2016
Location: Nottingham Tennis Centre – Nottingham, England
With a prize money allotment of $250,000, this tournament is standard for the International level on the WTA Tour. Being three weeks from Wimbledon instead of two, it is not in the featured slot of tournaments in the grass season. The events two weeks before Wimbledon occupy the most prominent spot on the calendar before Wimbledon.
While this tournament is not as prominent as others, it is entering just its second year as a WTA International event. It was an ITF challenger event from 2011 through 2014. No event whatsoever was conducted from 1974 through 2010. This tournament had a brief life from 1971 through 1973. Billie Jean King won this event twice in the early 1970s.
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 (1 Year)
Year Champion Runner-up Score
2015 – Ana Konjuh def. Monica Niculescu – 1-6, 6-4, 6-2
Player Info:
The top seed is Karolina Pliskova, whose big serve should make her tough on grass. However, Pliskova continues to come nowhere close to doing well at the bigger tournaments on tour. She needs this event to get her in the right frame of mind, so that she can play well at Wimbledon. She’s a prime example of someone we’ll be keeping a close eye on. We’re not expecting her to win Wimbledon but if she shows well here and wins the event, she could be primed for a deeper run in London. But if she stumbles – as per usual – then she’s going to be someone we’ll be betting against early at the grand slam.
Johanna Konta plays here as the No. 2 seed. She did not do well on clay, but she’s been great on hardcourts over the past year, using her best period as a professional to crack the top 25. Konta is from Great Britain, so this is a home-nation tournament for her. It’s also a lead-in to Wimbledon, where she’s going to receive enthusiastic crowd support. Playing well here should boost her overall confidence.
The next six top seeds, in order, are Caroline Wozniacki, Monica Puig, Yanina Wickmayer, Heather Watson, Mona Barthel, and Christina McHale.
Victoria Azarenka had hoped to play in this event, but an injury suffered during Roland Garros will keep her out of it. Also pulling out of the tournament are Petra Cetkovska, Irina Falconi, Madison Keys, Monica Niculescu, and Lesia Tsurenko.
Nottingham Tennis Centre
The Nottingham Tennis Centre hosts both the WTA and ATP tournaments held at Nottingham. The modernized facility has been updated to provide a comfortable, accommodating environment for fans. Although this is likely the biggest tournament held at this centre, it’s not the only one. The Jack Britton Trophy tournament is also held here, which was named after acclaimed player Jack Britton, who passed away in 2005.
