Ahead of the start of the WTA Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Sunday, The National’s sports desk provide their predictions. To move on to the next prediction, click the red arrows in the bottom right corner of the image, or if using mobile device, simply swipe.
JON TURNER — ONLINE EDITOR
Winner: Elina Svitolina
The Dubai field appears as open as ever, with a dozen or so players all contenders to win the 2017 title. Among those is Svitolina, who reached the semi-finals last year with wins over then world No 5 Garbine Muguruza and Australian Open semi-finalist CoCo Vandeweghe. The Ukrainian world No 13 also enters the tournament having won the Taiwan title. Granted she didn’t face a player inside the top 50, but a title win will breed confidence. A quick player with one of the tour’s most consistent baseline games, Svitolina has proved she can be a match for the tour’s big hitters. In an unpredictable field, she could well emerge with her sixth career title.
Surprise player: Kristina Mladenovic
After a slow start to the season with successive defeats, Mladenovic was in sensational form to win her first WTA singles title at the St Petersburg Open. The Frenchwoman’s confidence will be sky high after wins over the likes of Venus Williams and Roberta Vinca en route to the final, and as a resident of Dubai, the world No 30 will hope to fare well in the UAE. Her singles record in Dubai is not great with a solitary second round appearance, but a title and a final in two doubles campaigns shows she knows how to win here. No reason why she can’t reach the latter stages.
Disappointment: Garbine Muguruza
The Spanish world No 7 remains one of the most dangerous players on tour when she gets it right, but something has been missing since she won the French Open; Muguruza has not made a final since Roland Garros, indeed she’s made just two semi-finals, in Cincinnati last season and Brisbane in January. Muguruza enjoyed an impressive debut in Dubai, reaching the last four in 2015, but last year’s second round defeat — her only match following a first-round bye — was less so. It could be another early departure.
GRAHAM CAYGILL — EDITOR
Winner: Caroline Wozniacki
The Dane is the 2011 champion in Dubai, and while her days of challenging for the world No 1 spot are beyond her, a run to the final in Doha this week shows she still has the game to cause opponents problems. Did not play in Dubai last year, but had reached the semi-finals the four years before, so her proven pedigree in the tournament should make her a serious contender and another Dubai title is a genuine possibility.
Surprise player: Samantha Stosur
The 2011 US Open champion’s best days are behind her at the age of 32, but she still packs enough of a punch from the back of the court to cause problems for her opponents if she is on form. Has had a dismal start to 2017, losing in the first round of the Australian Open, but she has the game to go to the latter stages of the competition if she can survive the opening round and get some momentum going.
Disappointment: Dominika Cibulkova
The Slovakian had a great end to 2016 by winning the WTA Finals, but she had a disappointing time at the Australian Open last month, departing in the third round. The question is whether she can maintain the form of 2016, and the early signs are she may struggle to do that. The third seed may find it tough to be a feature at the business end of proceedings in Dubai.
CHITRABHANU KADALAYIL — SENIOR EDITOR
Winner: Dominika Cibulkova
Her third-round loss at the Australian Open was disappointing given she had won the WTA Tour Finals only a few weeks earlier. The Slovak, though, is determined to put that loss behind her, saying before the Qatar Open she was focused on the top ranking. A player known for her high energy levels on court, she will likely take advantage of the fact she has got some match practice under her belt in rainy Doha — unlike in the case of rival Angelique Kerber — and will be a top contender in a reduced field.
Surprise player: Caroline Wozniacki
It is getting harder to predict what game the Dane will bring to court on any given day, but she has managed to stay relevant by springing surprises on occasions. Who would have thought she would make it to the US Open semi-finals after missing the clay-court season with injury? She was beaten by Johanna Konta in the third round of the Australian Open but another remarkable turnaround is due, and the champion from six years ago could well make her way to the quarter-finals, maybe even the semi-finals, in 2017.
Disappointment: Angelique Kerber
When the German arrived at Melbourne Park, she was world No 1 and defending champion. Both crowns seemed to rest awkwardly on her head, and she was dumped out by CoCo Vandeweghe in the fourth round, which eventually cost her the top ranking as well. Kerber’s mental make-up was already under scrutiny before she turned up in Doha and now the weather could cost her much-needed match practice as she aims to make a successful comeback in Dubai. She still has the quality to win the title, but at this point it looks like she will disappoint.
AHMED RIZVI — REPORTER
Winner: Karolina Pliskova
A finalist in Dubai two years ago, Pliskova has been one of the hottest players on the women’s tour since the US Open, where she stunned Serena Williams to reach the final. The Czech has started her season with a title in Brisbane, where she dropped only one set in five matches. One of the favourites at the Australian Open, her run was brought to an end by Mirjana Lucic-Baroni in the quarter-finals, but in the Fed Cup last week, Pliskova showed once again why she will be one of the players to watch this season. Blessed with one of the biggest serves in women’s tennis and a forehand to match, Pliskova does find her weapons blunted on slower surfaces. But on the fast courts of Dubai, she will be a bit too hot to handle.
Surprise player: CoCo Vandeweghe
Like Pliskova, Vandeweghe has the game that should flourish on the speedy courts at the Aviation Stadium. The American has a big serve and hits the ball with absolute disdain. Add the experience of the big stage that she has just gained with her blazing run to the semi-final of the Australian Open, and you have a heady concoction. In 24 previous main draw appearances at majors, she had made a first-round exit on 14 occasions and lost in the second seven times, and her best was the last-eight at Wimbledon in 2015. Last month’s Australian Open, then, could be the turning point and Dubai another step up the ladder.
Disappointment: Agnieszka Radwanska
One of the fan-favourites on the Tour, Radwanska is a regular feature on WTA’s list of magical shots, but unfortunately, Dubai has not seen a lot of her since her triumph in 2012. She has won only two of her five matches here since, which suggests she is not enjoying the conditions as much. And given the plethora of big-hitters in the field, this could be another disappointing campaign for the Pole.
