CINCINNATI: The first wild cards for the 2018 Western & Southern Open have been awarded to a pair of former tournament champions Victoria Azarenka and Andy Murray.
These former World No 1 will join the previously announced initial entrants in the 56-player ATP World Tour and WTA fields for the W&S Open which will take place August 11-19 at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio. Azarenka was ranked No 2 when she won the 2013 W&S Open, defeating No 1 Serena Williams for the title in what was the first WTA match in tournament history to pit No 1 vs No 2. She counts two Majors among her 20 career titles.
A former World No 1, Azarenka will return to Cincinnati for the first time since giving birth to her son, Leo, in 2016. (UNI)
