FOLLOWING the conclusion of the US Open, the WTA Tour is not taking a break like the ATP Tour, with two WTA 250 events. The qualifiers were completed for the 2021 Luxembourg Open with the main draw matches to begin overnight tonight, whilst the Zvarovalnica Sava Porotorz in Slovenia has begun qualifying, with those matches to be completed tonight, along with some Round of 32 matches following them. We take a look at both these tournaments and what to look out for.

2021 LUXEMBOURG OPEN

The field of the Luxembourg Open, at least at the top dozen is quite strong, which means there will be quite a gap between the favourites and the lower talents. We take a look at a few talking points.

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KEY QUESTION

Can Belinda Bencic push into the Top 10?

In the biggest surprise, US Open quarter finalist Belinda Bencic is fronting up in Luxembourg, to continue what has been a pretty hefty schedule in 2021. A strong finish to the season and Bencic will come close to her 2019 career-best year. Despite reaching the final eight, Bencic did not move out of her 12th ranking in the world, with the 24-year-old closing in on the Top 10, but needing a couple of big tournaments to push for a spot at the WTA Tour finals.

Prior to her loss to eventual US Open winner Emma Raducanu in the quarter finals, Bencic had won 13 of her past 14 matches, taking home a Gold Medal at Tokyo, and reaching a quarter finals in Cincinnati. Perhaps the big question mark is the fact that her losses have been disappointing at the hands of much lower ranked players. Her five losses since the start of Berlin on June 14 – where she reached the final there – have been to three qualifiers, a wildcard and a player outside the Top 100.

In the same time, she has recorded 13 Top 50 victories, and not dropped a game. additionally, Bencic has made three finals this year, winning in Tokyo, but dropping games to Ludmilla Samsonova in Berlin, and Iga Swiatek in Adelaide earlier this year. Her last title came in October 2019, and whilst her form has been good this year, outside the Olympics she is still looking for a regular WTA Tour title.

If she can claim Luxembourg, Bencic will move into 10th spot in the world, and with Indian Wells still to come, a good last month could see the talented Swiss stake her case for a WTA Finals.

OTHER TALKING POINTS

Can Elise Mertens turn her form around?

The second seed here should go deep, but her 30-16 season has painted over the cracks of late with only one Top 30 win – against Ons Jabeur at the US Open – and includes a loss to Ekaterina Alexandrova who she could meet in the semis.

How far can Clara Tauson go?

No doubt the 18-year-old Dane will enjoy seeing Raducanu celebrate her Grand Slam title, and use the line that she was the last person to beat her in Chicago. Winning the WTA 125 event, Tauson moved up to 78th in the world and reached the second round at Flushing Meadows before falling to Ash Barty. She has a winnable first game against Astra Sharma before likely facing fourth seed Alexandrova.

Who is the local hope?

Luxembourg has just the one player in the draw handed a wildcard with Mandy Minella returning. The 35-year-old has only played four main draw WTA Tour matches this year with a 1-3 record. The one win? Against Varvara Gracheva, her Round of 32 opponent in her home tournament. Could the veteran double-up and reach the second round?

Others to watch?

Fifth seed Marketa Vondrousova is looking to find some form after slipping down to 35th in the world. The 2019 Roland Garros runner-up made it to the second round at the US Open. Now 22-years-old, Vondrousova should be hitting her straps, and a win here – which would include a quarter finals clash with Mertens – would move her back into seeding spots for Indian Wells.

ZAVAROVALNICA SAVA PORTOROZ

The Slovenian tournament does not have the same punch at the top-end, but looks to have better depth and a more even field. This tournament appears less predictable, with a field of inconsistent or out-of-form players, led by Petra Martic, Yulia Putintseva and Alison Riske.

>> DRAW

KEY QUESTION

Who will win it?

This draw is smack bang wide open and it is hard to guess who could walk away with the silverware. Martic has not had a meaningful win since her clay court season, and you would have to be a brave person to back her in here unless she really turns it around. Second seed Putintseva is arguably the deserving favourite, though four losses in her past five matches does not fill anyone with confidence. She won a title on clay at Budapest, but with her only win inside the Top 100 a victory over 95th ranked Anhelina Kalinina – who is also playing here – it is hard to really see where Putintseva sits. Riske is the most shaky of the lot with a 4-11 record this year, and 10-19 WTA Tour record in the past two years.

On talent alone, Dayana Yastremska should be the favourite. Cleared of a doping scandal that erased the first six months of this year, the Ukrainian has had really unlucky draws thus far. She won through to a semi-final in her return tournament at Hamburg, defeating Sara Errani – who is here – and Magdalena Frech along the way, but has since copped two Top 20 players in Angelique Kerber and Barbora Krejcikova, and a former US Open winner in Sloane Stephens in her past three tournaments, as well as US Open runner-up Leylah Fernandez at the Olympics. In a weaker draw, the 21-year-old is a real chance.

OTHER TALKING POINTS

How important is it for Martic and Riske to find form?

Incredibly important. The former Top 20 player are way out in 42nd and 38th respectively, and they will be keen to have a good end of the season to position themselves with a chance of being seeded at the 2022 Australian Open.

Who are the young guns to look out for?

Yastremska is the one to watch as mentioned above, with the world number 53 set to enter the Top 50 again after slipping down the order. A career-high of 21st in the world, the Next-Gen talent deserves to be playing at the Next-Gen Finals series. Slovenian Kaja Juvan has home court advantage and could be a shot, whilst another Ukrainian, Katarina Zavatska is just 21-years-old as well and at the event. Juvan takes on Martic in the opening round though which is tough.

Who are the local hopes?

There are plenty of Slovenian competitors for the crowds to cheer on, though how many reach the next round is yet to be determined. Juvan is a talent of the future, while Tamara Zidansek is always someone that can pop up with a surprise run at tournaments. She will be comfortable on her home courts and comes in as the fifth seed. The tournament organisers handed three wildcards to local young players, with 536th ranked Nika Radisic, and 19 year olds Ziva Falkner and Pia Lovric the others. Juvan (Martic) and Lovric (Riske) both play seeds with Radisic (Kristina Mladenovic) all having tough first-up games, while Zidansek and Falkner face qualifiers in the opening round.

Picture credit: WTA/Jimmie48