WTA Auckland: Svitolina to face Wozniacki in first round; ‘Completely fresh’ Raducanu to meet qualifier

Top seed Coco Gauff faces fellow American Claire Liu in her first round match

Elina Svitolina and Caroline Wozniacki

December 30, 2023

Second seed Elina Svitolina will face fellow WTA mom Caroline Wozniacki in the first round of the WTA ASB Classic in Auckland, as per the draw released on Saturday morning.

Svitolina returned to the tour last year after giving birth to her first daughter, climbing all the way to No 25 in the rankings and reaching the last four at Wimbledon, while Wozniacki returned as a mother of two during the American hardcourt stretch and reached the fourth round of the US Open.

The pair have played five times in the past with Svitolina holding a 4-1 lead in their head-to-head but they haven’t played since the WTA Finals in 2018.

It's your Women's #ASBClassic Singles Draw for 2024! ⚡️

Who will take the trophy…? 🏆#WTA #LetsPlay pic.twitter.com/zEyQ7miZhM
— ASB Classic (@ASB_Classic) December 30, 2023

I think that for two years after the US Open, I felt maybe a bit more like weight on my shoulders, but now I feel completely fresh.
Emma Raducanu

The winner of that match could face former US Open champion Emma Raducanu in the second round. The Brit is playing her first tournament since April 2023 due to injuries and meets a qualifier in the first round.

The British woman told the press on Saturday that she feels completely fresh and ready as she embarks upon her return to the game.

“I feel reborn in a way. I feel fresh, I feel ready, I feel happy, I feel excited. So overall, I’m feeling very positive and lighter. I think that for two years after the US Open, I felt maybe a bit more like weight on my shoulders, but now I feel completely fresh,” Raducanu said.

American Amanda Anismiova, who has been off the tour since May, marks her return with a first round clash against Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the same half of the draw.

Reigning US Open champion Coco Gauff is the top seed in the draw and meets fellow American Claire Liu in the first round. Gauff could meet Anna Blinkova or a qualifier in the second round and either Emma Navarro, the fourth seed who plays Czech teen Linda Fruhvirtova in the opening round, or Petra Martic, the seventh seed, in the semis.