The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Top seeds tout benefits of CT Open
U.S. Open prep, atmosphere and facility all part of draw for players
NEW HAVEN » The top four seeds in the Connecticut Open — No. 1 Aga Radwanska, No. 2 Dominika Cibulkova, No. 3 Petra Kvitova and No. 4 Kristina Mladenovic — all agree that New Haven is a great place to play and for a variety of reasons.
At a roundtable discussion with media at the Connecticut Tennis Center on Sunday, all four agreed the Connecticut Open gives them a great chance to get extra matches and prepare for the upcoming U.S. Open in New York. Other draws included the atmosphere of the tournament from the facility and its courts, the strong field of players, how tournament officials treat the players and the overall New Haven experience.
For Kvitova, who missed about six months after her left hand was slashed by a knife-wielding intruder last December, New Haven is a welcome site on the WTA tour. She is making her seventh appearance in New Haven with wins in 2015, 2014 and 2012. She was a semifinalist in 2016.
“I always try to play New Haven to get more matches the week be-
before the U.S. Open,” Kvitova said. “It’s always very calm here and very relaxed. It’s nice to know there is somewhere you can go where you play well. It’s just a nice place to play.
“I’m still not 100 percent. I’m still working on it. My goal is to take in all the matches I can get here. I need more matches because matches prepare you and they are so much different than just practicing.”
For defending Connecticut Open champion Radwanska, it’s always great to be back in New Haven.
“Last year, winning the tournament was an amazing week for me, it seems like it was just a week ago,” said Radwanska, who makes here seventh appearance in New Haven. “I keep coming back here because it’s great preparation for the U.S. Open.
“I love hardcourts and I think that’s why I have played well here.”
Radwanska has been called a ninja and magician for the many trick plays she has produced on the court. But there is one description that is important to her — consistent.
“I like the nicknames, but being consistent is a very important part of my game,” Radwanski said.
Cibulkova is making her eighth appearance. Her best finishes here were quarterfinal appearances in 2017 and 2012.
“I haven’t had much success here, but I like playing the week before a grand slam,” Cibulkova said. “I play here because it’s only a two-hour ride by car and the climate here is the same. I see this tournament as a good opportunity to prepare for the U.S. Open.
“It’s not a big tournament, but it’s a good one and a chance to get more matches under my belt.”
It’s been a good year for Mladenovic. She has advanced to four finals with a win at St. Petersburg and runner-up finishes at Acapulco, Stuttgart and Madrid.
“The big change for me this year is the physical aspect of my game and my movement on my game,” Mladenovic said. “I’ve had an amazing season so far. New Haven is a perfect last preparation for the last Grand Slam of the year. New Haven is a premier event and I love New York, the U.S. Open is always special for me.”
Stephens withdraws
American Sloane Stephens withdrew from the tournament on Sunday citing a left wrist injury. She has been replaced by American lucky loser Christina McHale who lost a thirdround qualifying match to Jana Cepelova (6-3,6-4).
“A lingering wrist issue has flared up and I need to put my health first prior to the US Open,” Stephens said in a statement. “I’m so disappointed to let the tournament and fans down because the Connecticut Open is a very special event for me. I look forward to being on site tomorrow.”
Clarification
In Sunday’s Connecticut Open notebook, in discussing festival events it was reported that one of the week-long festival events is a Porsche Social Event where fans can post their Connecticut Open experience on social media and post Instagram photos. The event is actually called the Porsche Social Zone.
Some events were also listed as weekly and they are actually week-long. Go to ctopen.org for more information.
Also, it was reported that fans can get 25 percent off ticket prices if they use a promo code. The correct promo code is CO17SUMMERFUN.
Solar eclipse
Today, Connecticut will experience a partial eclipse of the sun. It will begin at about 1:25 p.m. with 68 percent of the sun under partial eclipse at 2:45 p.m. with the event ending at 4 p.m. Connecticut Open officials stress that fans can’t look at the eclipse because of the devastating impact on your eyes.
Main draw
And the winner of the first singles main draw match is ... Mirjana Lucic-Baroni. While most of the match was close, Lucic-Baroni finished strong, winning the final three games of the match to take a 6-4, 6-7 (7-3), 6-3 win over Anett Kontaveit.
After the match, LucicBaroni, still recovering from a three-month old shoulder injury, admitted the opening draw match was tough but satisfying thanks to the result.
“She (Kontaveit) is playing really well and she is a tough opponent,” LucicBaroni said. “The match was a bit up and down but it was nice to get a win. I’m still struggling with the shoulder but it’s just a bump in the road.