Still Europe and Start of North American Swing ATP 250, WTA 250

 

Plava Laguna Croatia Open, Croatia, ATP 250
Generali Open, Kitzbuhel, Austria, ATP 250
Truist Atlanta Open, Atlanta, USA, ATP 250
BNP Paribas Poland Open, Warsaw, Poland, WTA 250
Livesport Prague Open, Czech Republic, WTA 250

Our theme for this week  - the Universe.  We have five different locations with pictures of the moon over those cities.  Unique and yet the same.  Riveting photography..... technology has brought us far.  John Singkit - this is your fault for sharing those beautiful pictures of extreme weather and the recent red strawberrry moon and supermoon.  "Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I am not sure about the universe." Albert Einstein

From Space Hubble Telescope - Beautiful Nebula...

Congratulations to this past week's Champions:

ATP

Hamburg European Open -  Singles:  L. Musetti  Doubles:  H. Heliovaara / L. Glasspool

Swiss Open, Gstaad - Singles:  C. Ruud.   Doubles: T. Brkic / F. Cabral

WTA

Hamburg European Open -  Singles:  B. Pera   Doubles:  S. Chang / A. Kulikov

33rd Palermo Ladies Open - Singles:  I. Begu      Doubles: K. Zimmermann / A. Bondar

Let's see what's in store for us this week....

Plava Laguna Croatia Open ATP 250
International Tennis Center, Umag, Croatia
July 25 - 31, 2022

Moon over Croatia National Theater

Surface: Clay

Draw: Singles 28, Doubles 16

This is the 32nd edition of the tourney.

Defending champion: Carlos Alcaraz, with the first of many titles to come in his career. (Defeated Richard Gasquet)

This tournament features several young players. Five of the seeds are 21 or younger. Fognini, the only seeded player over 30, must feel ancient.

Seeds (in order of seeding): Carlos Alacaraz, Jannik Sinner, Holger Rune, Sebastian Baez, Alex Molcan, Daniel Altmaier, Fabio Fognini, Lorenzo Musetti

Wildcards: Croatian players Duje Ajdukovic, Mili Poljicak, Dino Prizmic

Protected ranking: Aljaz Bedene 

Withdrawals: Basilashvili, F. Cerundolo, Krajinovic

Singles/Doubles Draws
OOP

Generali Open ATP 250
Tennis stadium Kitzbuhel
Kitzbuhel, Austria
July 25 - 30, 2022

Moon over Vienna, Austria

Surface: Clay

Draw: Singles 28, Doubles 16

This is the 78th edition of the tournament.

Defending champion: Casper Ruud (defeated Pedro Martinez)

Seeds (in order of seeding): Talon Griekspoor, Roberto Bautista Agut, Aslan Karatsev, Albert Ramos-Vinolas, Richard Gasquet, Pedro Martinez, Joao Sousa, Alexander Shevchenko, Lorenzo Sonego

Other notables include Cristian Garin

Wildcards: Austrian players Filip Misolic, Jurij Rodionov, plus Nicolas Jarry

Protected ranking: Dominic Thiem

Withdrawals: Davidovich Fokina, Miralles, Monfils, Otte, Berrettini, Ruud

Singles/Doubles Draws
OOP

Atlanta Open ATP 250
Atlantic Station, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
July 25 - 31, 2022

Supermoon over Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Surface: Hard

Draw: Singles 28, Doubles 16

This is the first tournament in the US Open Series, and is the 34^th edition of the tourney. No surprise that a LOT of American players are entered, including 6 of the 8 seeds.

Most titles: John Isner with 6.

Defending champion: John Isner (defeated Brandon Nakashima)

Seeds (in order of seeding): Reilly Opelka, John Isner, Alex de Minaur, Frances Tiafoe, Maxime Cressy, Tommy Paul, Jenson Brooksby, Nick Kyrgios

Other notables include: Thanasi Kokkinakis, Denis Kudla

Wildcards: American players Andres Martin, Ben Shelton, Jack Sock

Withdrawals: Fritz, Kecmanovic, Murray, Norrie

Singles/Doubles Draws
OOP

BNP Paribas Poland Open WTA 250
Legia Tenis & Golf, Warsaw, Poland
July 25 - 31, 2022

Extremely big moon over the City Kazimierz Dolny, Poland

Surface: Clay

Draw: Singles 32, Doubles 16

2021 Champion: Maryna Zanevska (defeated Kristina Kucova)

Seeds (in order of seeding): Iga Swiatek, Sara Sorribes Tormo, Irina-Camelia Begu, Caroline Garcia, Anna Bondar, Nuria Parrizas Diaz, Petra Martic, Varvara Gracheva

Wildcards: Polish players Weronika Falkowska, Maja Chwalinska, Martyna Kubka

Protected ranking: Nadia Podoroska

Withdrawals include: Kostyuk, Siegemund, Shuai, Putintseva

 Singles/Doubles Draw
OOP

Livesport Prague Open WTA 250
TK Sparta Praha, Prague, Czech Republic
July 25 - 31, 2022

Moon over Prague, Czech Republic

Surface: Hard

Draw: Singles 32, Doubles 16

This is the tourney’s 2^nd year as a WTA 250 tournament, and the second year on hard courts, as opposed to clay.

Defending champion: Barbora Krejcikova (defeated Tereza Martincova)

Seeds (in order of seeding): Anett Kontaveit, Barbora Krejcikova, Elise Mertens, Sorana Cirstea, Alize Cornet, Alison Van Uytvanck, Anastasia Potapova, Marie Bouzkova

Wildcards: Czech players Lucie Havlickova, Linda Noskova, plus Anett Kontaveit

Protected ranking: Karolina Muchova

Withdrawals: Bencic, Dart, Dodin, Haddad Maia, Kvitova, Vekic

Singles/Doubles Draw
OOP

Thank you Missy Hartt.  Best team mate ever!!

"The job is by no means done. We will look for the boundary between the solar system and the interstellar medium, and then we'll voyage on forever in the dark between the stars."
Carl Sagan