The clay season is underway in Bogota, where defending champion Irina Falconi will fight off a determined field led by Kiki Bertens. But for those still not ready to switch surfaces, the inaugural Ladies Open Biel Bienne – staged on indoor hardcourts – kicks off with a world-class field including Barbora Strycova and Carla Suárez Navarro.

Here’s what’s on tap for this week on the WTA:

CURRENT TOURNAMENTS:

Claro Open Colsanitas – Bogota

Tournament Level: International
Prize Money: $226,750
Draw Size: 32 main draw/24 qualifying
Surface: Clay, Outdoors

Qualifying Dates: Saturday, April 8 – Sunday, April 9
First Day of Main Draw: Monday, April 10

Singles Final: Saturday, April 15, NB 1:30 pm COT
Doubles Final: Saturday, April 15, 11:00 am COT

Top-ranked players: Kiki Bertens, Katerina Siniakova, Johanna Larsson, Lara Arruabarrena
Defending Champion: Irina Falconi

TALKING POINTS:

– Reigning Claro Open Colsanitas champion Irina Falconi is back after winning her first WTA singles title here in 2016. She’s joined by two other former Bogota champions: Lara Arruabarrena (2012) and Mariana Duque-Mariño (2010).

– Former Roland Garros champion Francesca Schiavone, playing her last season on tour, received one of the three main draw wildcards

– One to Watch: Sara Sorribes Tormo is the latest Spaniard to start making waves on tour, winning a handful of main draw matches – including over former Top 10 player Ekaterina Makarova at Indian Wells – and recently breaking into the Top 100 for the first time

Ladies Open Biel Bienne
Tournament Level: International
Prize Money: $226,750
Draw Size: 32 main draw/32 qualifying
Surface: Indoor Hard

Qualifying Dates: Saturday, April 8 – Monday, April 10
First Day of Main Draw: Monday, April 10

Singles Final: Sunday, April 16, NB 3:00 pm CEST
Doubles Final: Sunday, April 16, 12:00 pm CEST

Top-ranked players: Barbora Strycova, Carla Suárez Navarro, Timea Babos, Roberta Vinci, Laura Siegemund
Defending Champion: None, first staging

TALKING POINTS:

– This is the tournament’s inaugural staging, joining Switzerland’s other event, July’s Ladies Championship Gstaad, on the WTA calendar

– Eight players ranked in the Top 50 are competing at the 2017 Ladies Open Biel Bienne – No.18 Barbora Strycova, No. 25 Carla Suárez Navarro, No.30 Timea Babos, No.34 Roberta Vinci, No.37 Laura Siegemund, No.44 Alizé Cornet, No.46 Julia Goerges and No.47 Monica Niculescu

– Swiss No.1 Timea Bacsinszky is not competing in singles but will team up with compatriot and multiple Grand Slam winner Martina Hingis in doubles

-Former Top 10 player Belinda Bencic required a wildcard to play in Biel, having slipped to No.130 following an injury-affected 2016

UPCOMING TOURNAMENTS:

Porsche Tennis Grand Prix – Stuttgart
Premier | $710,900 | Indoor Clay
Monday, April 24 – Sunday, April 30
Top-ranked players: Angelique Kerber, Karolina Pliskova, Simona Halep, Dominika Cibulkova, Agnieszka Radwanska
Defending champion: Angelique Kerber

TEB BNP Paribas Istanbul Cup
International | $226,750 | Clay
Monday, April 24 – Sunday, April 30
Top-ranked players: Elina Svitolina, Timea Babos, Yulia Putintseva, Irina-Camelia Begu, Eugenie Bouchard
Defending champion: Cagla Buyukakcay

Grand Prix SAR La Princesse Lalla Meryem – Rabat
International | $226,750 | Clay
Monday, May 1 – Saturday, May 6
Top-ranked players: Timea Bacsinszky, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Caroline Garcia, Timea Babos, Daria Gavrilova
Defending champion: Timea Bacsinszky

J&T Banka Prague Open
International | $226,750 | Clay
Monday, May 1 – Saturday, May 6
Top-ranked players: Karolina Pliskova, Caroline Wozniacki, Samantha Stosur, Barbora Strycova
Defending champion: Lucie Safarova

TOP 20 PLAYERS’ SCHEDULES:
1. Angelique Kerber – Stuttgart
2. Serena Williams
3. Karolina Pliskova – Stuttgart, Prague
4. Dominika Cibulkova – Stuttgart
5. Simona Halep – Stuttgart
6. Garbiñe Muguruza – Stuttgart
7. Johanna Konta
8. Agnieszka Radwanska – Stuttgart
9. Svetlana Kuznetsova – Stuttgart
10. Madison Keys
11. Caroline Wozniacki – Prague
12. Venus Williams
13. Elina Svitolina – Istanbul
14. Petra Kvitova
15. Elena Vesnina – Stuttgart
16. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova – Rabat
17. Samantha Stosur – Stuttgart, Prague
18. Barbora Strycova – Biel, Stuttgart, Prague
19. Kristina Mladenovic – Stuttgart
20. Kiki Bertens – Bogota, Stuttgart

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
Best wishes to those celebrating birthdays this week:

Risa Ozaki (JPN) – April 10, 1994
Elizaveta Kulichkova (RUS) – April 12, 1996
Richel Hogenkamp (NED) – April 16, 1992
Taylor Townsend (USA) – April 16, 1996