After an exciting week of action at the Rogers Cup in Montreal, which saw Simona Halep beat Sloane Stephens to take the title, the elite of the WTA Tour now head into Cincinnati for the Western and Southern Open, the last big tournament before the US Open in two weeks time.
Both Halep and Stephens will be in action, as will many of the top players on the WTA. Defending champion Garbine Muguruza, the current world number seven, returns to attempt to regain the title, whilst the likes of Angelique Kerber and Caroline Wozniacki, both slam champions this year, will also be in action.
Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, the winner of five titles this year, is the final top eighth seed, with Caroline Garcia and the ever-dangerous Elina Svitolina also seeded in the top eight. Aside from them, Serena Williams will be back in action for the first time since her heavy loss in San Jose, whilst former world number one Karolina Pliskova and 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko amongst the rest of the field present.
First Quarter
Projected Q/F: (1st) Simona Halep vs (7th) Garbine Muguruza
Despite having contested the final last year, with the Spaniard dropping just one game in a resounding victory last summer, Halep and Muguruza could meet as early as the last eight this year, with Muguruza having struggled with inconsistency and injury issues throughout the season.
Muguruza withdrew from the Rogers Cup last week, and may not have a nice return to the tour here, with potential first round opponents Lesia Tsurenko and Danielle Collins both capable of upsets if the two-time slam champion is off her game. 11th seed Ostapenko may also prove a danger in the third round, if she can find some form, whilst no one will fancy meeting Halep at the moment. After a great week in Montreal, the Romanian should have no issues early on in the draw here, with another meeting against Ashleigh Barty (who could face her in the third round after meeting in the last four in Montreal) potentially her biggest problem on her way to the quarterfinals.
Prediction: Halep def Muguruza
Second Quarter
Projected Q/F: (4th) Angelique Kerber vs (7th) Caroline Garcia
With the WTA having been so open throughout the past couple of seasons, the fact that opening round matches in this section include Karolina Pliskova versus Agnieszka Radwanska and Carla Suarez Navarro versus Victoria Azarenka means this may be an incredibly intriguing section to follow over the coming few days.
The latter of those two matches decides who Garcia will face in her first match, with the Frenchwoman having another consistent season, even if she is lacking in big results. Though she may come through that, potential dangers could await in the form of Pliskova or Johanna Konta, who is starting to pick up some form once again, whilst it will be interesting to see how Kerber fares this week. The newly crowned Wimbledon champion fell tamely in Montreal last week and could have a tough opener against the likes of Aleksandra Krunic or Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova; however, her consistency suggests she will bounce back, though a third round clash against Madison Keys may prove tricky.
Prediction: Kerber def Garcia
Third Quarter
Projected Q/F: (8th) Petra Kvitova vs (3rd) Sloane Stephens
After a solid week in Montreal, which followed a slight dip in form, Stephens will be confident as she steps back onto home soil, though she is stuck in quarter with Kvitova, who has proven to be one of the most dangerous women on tour this year- and she is not the only notable name present here.
Kvitova has a bye to begin with, as do all of the top eight seeds, though could face Serena Williams in the second round; it could be a tight match,, especially if Serena demonstrates some of the form she produced at Wimbledon. However, Julia Goerges is a dangerous third round opponent for whoever comes through there, whilst Stephens has a slightly easier start against a qualifier in her opening match of the tournament. The American could, however, come up against Elise Mertens in the third round, with the Belgian putting together a very fine season in what has been a real breakthrough for her.
Prediction: Stephens def Kvitova
Fourth Quarter
Projected Q/F: (5th) Elina Svitolina vs (2nd) Caroline Wozniacki
Both Svitolina and Wozniacki had solid starts to the season, with Wozniacki finally capturing a Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, though both have had a slight dip in form in recent months, and will be looking for a good build-up to the US Open, where both are more than capable of taking the title.
Svitolina regained some form in Montreal last week, reaching the last four, though could have an opening clash against Svetlana Kuznetsova, which could prove to be a highly entertaining affair. Furthermore, Daria Kasatkina could await in the third round, whilst further down in the quarter Wozniacki has an incredibly tricky road to reach the last eight; the Dane will start against either Kiki Bertens or Coco Vandeweghe, with the likes of Naomi Osaka or Anett Kontaveit, both of whom have made big process this season, potential third round opponents for the world number two.
Prediction: Svitolina def Kontaveit
Semifinals
Halep def Kerber
Svitolina def Stephens
Final
Halep def Svitolina