Cincinnati Women's Preview: Five women could be No. 1 by end of week

We’re used to hearing WTA tournaments described as wide open, at least when Serena Williams isn’t around. But the No. 1 ranking? Serena’s long-term absence has left even that exclusive position up for grabs. In Cincinnati this week, five players have a chance to finish the week No. 1: Karolina Pliskova, who is there now, Simona Halep, Angelique Kerber, Caroline Wozniacki and Elina Svitolina. There’s obviously a lot to play for this week; let’s see who stands the best chance of ending up on top at the end of the Western & Southern Open.

The pressure ratchets up a notch for Pliskova in Cincinnati. She’s the defending champion, and it was here last year that she began to play the tennis that nearly took her to the U.S. Open title. But while she’s ranked No. 1, Pliskova is fourth in the 2017 race, and her ranking will take a dip if she loses early here or at Flushing Meadows. Her path to the semis won’t be an easy one. It could bring her up against Donna Vekic, Kristina Mladenovic—who won their last meeting, in Dubai—and the woman who beat her this past weekend in Toronto, Caroline Wozniacki.

Also here: Venus Williams, who is slated to play Wozniacki in the third round

First-round matches to watch: Mladenovic vs. Daria Gavrilova

Williams vs. Alison Riske

Semifinalist: Pliskova

The summer hard-court season hasn’t been especially kind to Muguruza over the years, but last year’s Cincinnati event, where she made the semifinals, was an exception. It makes sense; the fast courts should be to her liking. This year Muguruza, who has mostly fended off post-Slam collapse syndrome after her Wimbledon win, will start against either Lauren Davis or Beatrice Haddad Maia of Brazil.

More intriguing is the woman Muguruza could face second: Madison Keys. The American beat the Spaniard two weeks ago in Stanford on her way to the title. Keys looked to be in top form there, but then, as has been the case throughout her career, she was immediately forced to pull out of Toronto will an arm injury. She’ll need to pick up where she left off, because she opens against the woman she beat in the Stanford final, Coco Vandeweghe.

Also here: Jelena Ostapenko, Svetlana Kunzetsova

First-round match to watch: Keys vs. Vandeweghe

Semifinalist: Muguruza

The top two seeds in this section have switched places in 2017. Kerber began the year at No. 1, but her one-sided loss to Sloane Stephens last week left her at No. 15 in the race to Singapore; Svitolina, meanwhile, began the year ranked No. 14, but with her fifth title of the year, in Toronto, she took over the No. 1 spot in the seasonal race. Will they continue on the same trajectory in Cincinnati, or is it time for a course correction? Kerber has the slightly tougher draw; she’ll start against either Barbora Strycova or Ekaterina Makarova, and could play Petra Kvitova or Stephens after that.

First-round matches to watch: Stephens vs. Lucie Safarova

Agnieszka Radwanska vs. Julia Goerges

Semifinalist: Svitolina

Halep has been knocking on the No. 1 door for much of the summer, but so far it hasn’t opened for her. Rome, Paris, Eastbourne, Wimbledon, D.C., Toronto: She makes the quarters or better every week, but something slightly out of her control—hot weather, a hot opponent, a home-country opponent, having to play two matches in one day—keeps her from going all the way. But she seems too steady not to reach No. 1 at some point. This week she’ll start against either Taylor Townsend or Monica Puig, and could face the woman who beat her at Wimbledon, Johanna Konta, in the quarters.

First-round match to watch: CiCi Bellis vs. Alizé Cornet

Semifinalist: Halep

Semifinals: Muguruza d. Pliskova; Svitolina d. Halep

Final:Muguruza d. Svitolina

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