Courmayeur Ladies Open 2021: Women's singles draw analysis, preview and prediction
The 2021 season is close to coming to an end with just a handful of events remaining on the calendar. The inaugural edition of the Courmayeur Ladies Open is set to take place in Courmayeur, Italy from October 25-31.
The event lost some of its star power with the withdrawals of Maria Sakkari and Belinda Bencic. Nevertheless, it boasts a quality field with a healthy mix of rising talent and tour veterans.
World No. 8 Ons Jabeur and Camila Giorgi are the top two seeds in Courmayeur, while Liudmila Samsonova, Petra Martic, Alison Riske and Clara Tauson also feature in the draw.
With main draw action set to begin on Monday, here's a look at how the tournament could play out.
Top half: Ons Jabeur looking to cement WTA Finals spot
Top seeds: (1) Ons Jabeur, (4) Petra Martic, (7) Jasmine Paolini and (8) Zhang Shuai
Expected semifinal: Ons Jabeur vs Petra Martic
Analysis: Ons Jabeur's history-making season has seen her scale new heights. Following her semi-final showing at the BNP Paribas Open, she became the first Arab player to reach the top 10. She also won her first title this year and is the tour leader in matches won.
Jabeur is one of three players fighting for the last two spots in the WTA Finals and she'll be looking to boost her chances of qualifying with a strong showing in Courmayeur.
The Tunisian had to retire from her opening match at the Kremlin Cup, but after sufficient rest she should be back to full fitness.
Jabeur will open her campaign against Vitalia Diatchenko, before a potential second-round clash with either Lucia Bronzetti or Kateryna Kozlova. The Tunisian could be tested for the first time in the quarterfinals, where she is expected to face Jasmine Paolini. The Italian, who won her first title last month and reached the third round at Indian Wells, could spring an upset.
Petra Martic leads the other side of this half, and will begin her Courmayeur campaign against Zheng Saisai. The winner of this match will play either Donna Vekic or Dayana Yastremska in the second round.
The former's comeback from surgery hasn't been the best and her string of early losses have resulted in her falling out of the top 100. Yastremska, meanwhile, was sidelined for the better part of the season due to suspension. The Ukrainian hasn't found her best tennis since her return but she will still be the favorite going into this contest.
Zhang Shuai, meanwhile, will open against wildcard Jessica Pieri, who mainly plies her trade on the ITF circuit. Zhang's experience should hold her in good stead and help her advance to the second round, where she will face either Ann Li or Wang Xinyu.
Predicted semifinal: Ons Jabeur def Zhang Shuai
Bottom half: Camila Giorgi set to face stern challenge from Clara Tauson, Liudmila Samsonova
Top seeds: (2) Camila Giorgi, (3) Liudmila Samsonova, (5) Clara Tauson and (6) Alison Riske
Expected semifinal: Camila Giorgi vs Liudmila Samsonova
Analysis: The bottom half of the Courmayeur Open draw is a land of opportunity for the tour veterans, as they have been placed with most of the qualifiers.
Camila Giorgi won her biggest career title at the WTA 1000 in Canada, but then went on a four-match losing streak. She snapped that at the Tenerife Ladies Open, where she reached the semifinals.
The Italian, who is the second seed in Courmayeur, will face off against Kamilla Rakhimova in the first round. While she's the favorite on paper, the match could swing either way. If Giorgi wins, she should have an easy path to the quarterfinals, as her second-round opponent will be either Magdalena Frech or a qualifier.
Rising teen star Clara Tauson, who has won two titles this year, will begin her Courmayeur Open campaign against Stefanie Vogele, a match she's expected to win. Her second-round opponent could be Martina Caregaro, and a win would set up a last-eight showdown with Giorgi.
Luidmila Samsonova is on the other side of the half, and after a first-round encounter with a qualifier, she could face the tricky Hsieh Su-wei in the next round, with the winner moving on to the quarterfinals.
Alison Riske has had a forgettable season so far, but the American has an opportunity to turn things around. She's up against a qualifier in the first round and will face the winner of the match between Martina Trevisan and Anna Kalinskaya in the second round.
The Russian had to retire from her second-round match at the Kremlin Cup, so her fitness is questionable at the moment. If she's healthy, though, expect her to move on to the quarterfinals.
Predicted semifinal: Clara Tauson def. Hsieh Su-wei
Predicted final
Ons Jabeur def. Clara Tauson