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Stephens, Garcia and Fernandez headline action as race for the title surges in Cleveland

By Myre Aberdan

CLEVELAND, OH - AUGUST 25: Nagi Hanatani of Japan returns a serve to Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic during the first set of their match on day 4 of the Cleveland Championships at Jacobs Pavilion on August 25, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Lauren Bacho/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - AUGUST 25: Nagi Hanatani of Japan returns a serve to Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic during the first set of their match on day 4 of the Cleveland Championships at Jacobs Pavilion on August 25, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Lauren Bacho/Getty Images) /
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The 2023 Tennis in the Land Open could not have gotten off to a better start. With the only seeds falling down being the number 2 seeded Krejčíková and the 8th seeded Blinkova, competition is hot for the title here in Cleveland.

Jasmine Paolini has had quite a successful spell after coming back from playing on the lower tours. She made the quarter-final of Cincinnati, as well as the final of Palermo almost a month prior. She comes into this match with plenty of momentum from a very successful Cincinnati Masters campaign- where she eventually lost to champion Coco Gauff.

Ekaterina Alexandrova is another player who was carrying strong form into Wimbledon but has fizzled out since. A lack of match play in the US Open series is mainly the culprit, with only a second round exit to show for as we enter the last week before the US Open. In the lead-up to Wimbledon, Alexandrova had an incredible string of results- winning s-Hertogenbosch and making the final of the German Open.

Sloane Stephens is another player to look out for this week. Stephens made the last 16 of both Montreal and Cincinnati and will be looking to head in to the US Open by going one better and having a quarter-final to next her name in the leadup to Flushing Meadows. In Cincinnati, Stephens defeated world number 7 Carolina Garcia in a tight 3 set affair- and this win will give her plenty of confidence heading into the US Open.

Caroline Garcia needs no introducing. Despite having a poor US Open series so far, Garcia has the opportunity this week to correct all of that and head into the US Open with plenty of momentum. Garcia’s last 3 results in Washington, Montreal and Cincinnati were all losses in her first match of play. A win in Cleveland could be just the momentum shift that Garcia needs to get back to being a favourite for the US Open.

Leylah Fernandez is another player who has had mixed results leading up to the US Open this year- but has had strong results in the past during the US Open series. Fernandez beat world number 11 Beatriz Haddad Maia in 3 tight sets in Montreal-but lost in the qualifying stage of the Cincinnati Masters to Emma Navarro. Out of all the players, Fernandez had experienced the strongest results so far in Cleveland, with a clinical 6-0 6-2 takedown of Linda Noskova. A win in Cleveland would seriously increase Fernandez’s stocks leading in to the US Open.

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