Pliskova, Murray lead direct-entry fields for US Open
Czech Republic’s Karolina Pliskova in action during her second-round Wimbledon match against Slovakia’s Magdalena Rybarikova at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London, in this July 6, 2017, photo
New WTA No. 1 Karolina Pliskova and top-ranked man Andy Murray headline the direct entry lists for the US Open.
Czech Pliskov , the 2016 runner-up at Flushing Meadows, is joined by four past US Open champions: Angelique Kerber of Germany, American Venus Williams, Sam Stosur of Australia and Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia. Other past Grand Slam champions in the field: Spain's Garbin Muguruza (the Wimbledon champion), Czech Petra Kvitova, Francesca Schiavone of Italy, Victoria Azarenka of Belarus and Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko, who won the French Open this year.
There are 13 Americans among the 99 women receiving direct entry, more than any other country.
Six-time US Open champion Serena Williams (pregnant) and Bethanie Mattek-Sands (knee surgery) are among the women who will not be competing in New York.
Azarenka, Sloane Stephens, Anna-Lena Friedsam, Alja Tomljanovic and Sabine Lisicki used a special ranking to get into the main draw.
Murray, who won his first major title at the US Open in 2012, is joined by these other past champs in the field: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Stan Wawrinka, Marin Cilic and Juan Martin del Potro.
Using protected rankings to get in are: Andreas Haider-Maurer, Thanasi Kokkinakis, John Millman, Dmitry Tursunov and Ricardas Berankis.
Main-draw play at the US Open begins on August 28.
