Since 1982 the WTA in Birmingham, which this year is being staged in the 250 version, has been the scene of challenges for several big names. This is also demonstrated by an important roll of honour, which brings very important names to light: Martina Navratilova, Billie Jean King, Pam Shriver (4 times), up to Ashleigh Barty. AND last year the Latvian Jelena Ostapenko won.
It will be she, in a peak of bad luck, the first opponent of Elisabetta Cocciaretto. It will be the first time between the player from Riga and the one from Ancona, with the plot that will essentially lie in the type of ability of Ostapenko to send the balls onto the field, a typical plot of almost all of her matches.
Also Lucia Bronzetti is at the start, against the Polish Magdalena Frech. Theoretically possible match, and it must also be said that there was a confrontation between the two at Indian Wells, at first round level, this year. The success here went to the Italian style 6-2 6-4.
We see Caroline Wozniacki again: the former world number 1, who is waiting to know if she will really be a wild card at Wimbledon, already knows that she will have the chance to play in the Olympics through the quota reserved for those who have won Slams (her case) or gold medals. And she will challenge the Belgian Elise Mertens, who instead in Paris Olympic version it is already clear that she will not go.
WTA 250 BIRMINGHAM 2024 SCOREBOARD
Ostapenko (LAT) [1]-Cocciaretto (ITA)
Yuan (CHN)-Stephens (USA) [WC]
Shnaider-Qualified
Watson (GBR) [WC]-Bouzkova (CZE) [8]
Boulter (GBR) [4]-Kalinina (UKR)
Putintseva (KAZ)-Burel (FRA)
Pliskova (CZE)-Qualified
Wozniacki (DEN) [WC]-Mertens (BEL) [5]
Fernandez (CAN) [6]-Sorribes Tormo (ESP)
Qualified-Qualified
Tomljanovic (AUS)-Blinkova
Zhu (CHN)-Cirstea (ROU) [3]
Potapova [7]-Qualified
Bronzetti (ITA)-Frech (POL)
Qualified-Dart (GBR) [WC]
Qualified-Krejcikova (CZE) [2]
