MATCH POINTS
Reigning champion Johanna Larsson aims to win her first tournament of the season and third of her career this week in Nurnberg. In the first round, she will face wild card and two-time Grand Slam champion Svetlana Kuznetsova.
Kuznetsova, the oldest player to get direct entry into the main draw at age 33, has a 1-0 head-to-head lead over Larsson. Kuznetsova won their only prior meeting in straight sets, in the second round of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells in 2017.
Photos: Famous five: Nurnberg champions from Halep to Larsson
Andrea Petkovic, the No.8 seed at this year’s tournament, was runner-up in the first-ever edition: to Simona Halep in 2013. Petkovic takes a 1-0 head-to-head lead into her match with compatriot Anna-Lena Friedsam, having won their lone prior encounter on clay at Marseille in 2013.
No.2 seed Katerina Siniakova has won her only previous clash with Mandy Minella, a three-set tussle in the qualifying for the 2013 Miami Open.
Read more: Top seed Putintseva wins Nurnberg opener after Jakupovic retirement
Mona Barthel has won both of her prior encounters with No.1 seed Yulia Putintseva. The German beat the Kazakh at Doha in 2013 and in the qualifying for Cincinnati in 2014, each time by the scoreline of 6-4, 6-2.
