2014 Champ Petkovic Headlines Manic Monday

You don’t have to look far to find recognizable names and must-see match-ups on day one of main draw play at the Volvo Car Open.

Here, we pick five matches you can’t miss on a manic Monday in Charleston.

Laura Siegemund (GER) vs. Natalia Vikhlyantseva (RUS)
Court 4, 10:00am
In 2017, Siegemund went all the way to the semifinals (beating Venus Williams along the way) before bowing out to eventual champ Daria Kasatkina. The crafty German suffered a right knee injury last spring and she’s just starting her comeback on tour.

MORE: Full Main Draw Preview | Singles Draw | Doubles Draw

Andrea Petkovic (GER) vs. Varvara Lepchenko (USA)
Volvo Car Stadium, 2nd Match after 10:00am
Fan favorite and 2014 champion Petkovic (pictured above) is back, and her first challenge is an American in Lepchenko. It will be a baseline battle in this one, and the winner is set to meet top seed Caroline Garcia in the second round.

[11] Daria Gavrilova (AUS) vs. Ons Jabeur (TUN)
Althea Gibson Club Court, 2nd Match after 10:00am
The dynamic Dasha takes on Jabeur, who made the third round here last year. This match will be about who can take control of the rallies from the start. Both women won junior Grand Slam titles as teens.

[10] Naomi Osaka (JPN) vs. Jennifer Brady (USA)
Volvo Car Stadium, 3rd Match after 10:00am
If you want to see some hard hitting, this match will be chock full of it. Osaka and Brady hit two of the biggest balls in women’s tennis, and the Japanese youngster is coming off her maiden title – and it was a big one – beating Kasatkina in Indian Wells two weeks ago.

[WC] Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) vs. Veronica Cepede Royg (PAR)
Volvo Car Stadium, 4th Match after 10:00am
Mattek-Sands has been doubles champion here twice – including last year – but a gnarly knee injury took her off the court from Wimbledon until just last month. She’s got a tricky foe in Cepede Royg.