Western & Southern Open, New York City, US - WTA Premier 5

[tented]

DATE: August 22 - 28, 2020
SURFACE: Hard
PRIZE MONEY: $2,250,829
FIELD SIZE: 64
DEFENDING CHAMPION: Madison Keys

Seeds:

1. Karolina Pliskova
2. Sofia Kenin
3. Serena Williams
4. Naomi Osaka
5. Aryna Sabalenka
6. Petra Kvitova
7. Madison Keys
8. Johanna Konta
9. Elena Rybakina
10. Marketa Vondrousova
11. Alison Riske
12. Anett Kontaveit
13. Maria Sakkari
14. Elise Mertens
15. Donna Vekic
16. Dayana Yastremska

The Tournament:

The Cincinnati Flushing Meadows Masters (currently sponsored by the Western & Southern Financial Group and called the Western & Southern Open) is an annual outdoor hardcourt tennis event held in Mason near Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. The event started on September 18, 1899 and is the oldest tennis tournament in the United States played in its original city.

The tournament is the second largest summer tennis event in the U.S. after the U.S. Open, as its men's portion is one of nine elite Masters 1000 tournaments on the ATP Tour and its women's event is one of five Premier 5 events on the WTA Tour.



TV Coverage:

Australia - beIN
Austria - DAZN
Belarus - Belarus TV
Belgium - beIN
Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovenia - IKO SportKlub
Bulgaria - Bulsat
Canada - TVA Sports, DAZN
Caribbean - SportsMax
China - iQIYI
Chinese Taipei - Sportcast
Czech Republic - O2 Czech Sports
Denmark - TV2
Estonia - Telia
Finland - NENT
France - beIN
Germany - DAZN
Greece - Cosmote TV
Hong Kong - Now TV
Hungary - Digisport
Italy, San Marino & Vatican City - Super Tennis
Japan - DAZN
Latin America - Sony
Latvia - Best4Sport
Malaysia & Brunei - Astro
Middle East & North Africa - beIN
Netherlands - Fox Sports
New Zealand - Spark
Norway - NENT
Poland - TVP Sport
Romania - Digisport
Russia - Match TV
Singapore - Starhub
Slovakia - Digisport
South Korea - Eclat
Switzerland - DAZN
Sweden - NENT
Thailand - Truevision
Turkey - beIN
Ukraine - Match TV, Poverkhnost
UK & Ireland - BT Sport
USA - Tennis Channel
Vietnam - Vietcontent

 

[tented]

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

13th Seed Maria Sakkari too good for Coco Gauff today defeating her 61 63.

Other good 1st rd matches which should start shortly,

WC Venus Williams vs Dayana Yastremska
Donna Vekic vs Victoria Azarenka
Alison Riske vs Amanda Anisimova.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Victoria Azarenka wins the 1st set over 15th seed Donna Vekic 6-2
Vekic too many UFE off her racket in the 1st set,her serve needs attention too,she needs to take some pace off her groundstrokes,on her bhand and fhand side,not taking anything away from Azarenka who played good solid tennis and deserved to win the 1st set.

Well done Azarenka d Vekic 62 63,overall a solid performance,hopefully she can display this kind of tennis in the next round!

 

[Moxie]

Vika did it! Good to see. Renee Stubbs did say that Vekic was unsure about coming to the US and had been practicing on clay in Europe.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Vika did it! Good to see. Renee Stubbs did say that Vekic was unsure about coming to the US and had been practicing on clay in Europe.

Vekic played the tournament in Palermo though clay is not her best surface,she went out in the 1st rd,if my memory serves me correct,HC is best suited to her game.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

That youngster Venus Williams comes back from a break down to take the 1st set against Yastremska 7-5

 

[Moxie]

Yastremska was giving Venus all she could handle, but now she seems to have rolled her ankle and to have a blister issue. They're talking like she might retire?

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Yastremska's coach tells her if her ankle is okay play on,if hurting too much retire? umpire intervenes and says that is enough talk,
This rule has to be 'clarified' too much of a dark area.
Yastremska breaks Venus and asks for the trainer.

 

[Moxie]

Yastremska's coach tells her if her ankle is okay play on,if hurting too much retire? umpire intervenes and says that is enough talk,
This rule has to be 'clarified' too much of a dark area.
Yastremska breaks Venus and asks for the trainer.

I thought they allowed the coaching? Anyway, so much for the gamey ankle...Yastremska is still hitting Vee off the court, and Venus not serving the way she would want.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

I thought they allowed the coaching? Anyway, so much for the gamey ankle...Yastremska is still hitting Vee off the court, and Venus not serving the way she would want.

Yes they are allowed 'coaching'from their seat,though there should be a time limit on it,which there was not in that instance.

BTW Yastremska 'can be a Drama Queen' at times,with injury time out'.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Going the distance in the match,Yastremska takes the 2nd set 62 and calls for the trainer

 

[Moxie]

I haven't seen much of this Yastremska, but she's a big hitter. Clean ball strike. If her ankle is feeling better, I don't like Venus's chances.

 

[Moxie]

So, there are no lines people on court. How are the lines being called?

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

So, there are no lines people on court. How are the lines being called?

Electronic line calls,there is hawkeye where players can ask for a review? Venus just questioned Yastremska's first serve which was in

 

[Moxie]

Yes they are still allowed 'coaching'from their seat' due to Covid-19,though there should be a time limit on it,which there was not in that instance.

BTW Yastremska 'can be a Drama Queen' at times,with injury time out'.

Venus is getting a little pissed about the gamesmanship.

 

[Moxie]

I see they're not using Arthur Ashe for the Western & Southern tournament.

Question for you, @MargaretMcAleer, since it's kind of just us here, ATM: for me, this is the summery part of the tennis calendar...it's in my time zone, and it's the hot and humid part of the year. Do you live our summer vicariously the way we do yours in January? Or is so much of the calendar just off-time for you that the rest is all the same?

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Venus is getting a little pissed about the gamesmanship.

Venus is not alone in that department lol! other players feel the same

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

I see they're not using Arthur Ashe for the Western & Southern tournament.

Question for you, @MargaretMcAleer, since it's kind of just us here, ATM: for me, this is the summery part of the tennis calendar...it's in my time zone, and it's the hot and humid part of the year. Do you live our summer vicariously the way we do yours in January? Or is so much of the calendar just off-time for you that the rest is all the same?

I prefer when the tennis is in Australia,so I do not have to get up at Midnight my time,our summer months a lot of people take their vacation,school breaks up,for about 3 months.I prefer to take my vacation in our autumn,March and April.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Venus after a shocking service game,breaks straight back to level 5 all in the final set.