Despite the recent withdraws of Serena Williams and Eugenie Bouchard, the women's tournament has brought many top players to the emirate this year.
Here is a look at the top 10 women's players who will be competing on the courts in Dubai (scroll through the gallery to see each one):
– Serbia’s Jelena Jankovic: A former world No 1, the Serbian has featured regularly in Dubai since her debut in 2005, when she lost to world No 1 Lindsay Davenport of the United States in the final. She has played in the main draw here every year since, except 2013, but has failed to match her run of 2005. Jankovic has made four semis though and is one of the crowd favourites.
– Romania’s Simona Halep: One of the most consistent performers on the tour last season – was a finalist at the French Open and the Tour Championship. Has made three appearances in the Dubai main draw but is yet to win two consecutive matches here. Plenty of expectation this time as the No 1 seed and highest world-ranked player.
– Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark: In the middle of a resurgence, the former world No 1 made her first grand slam tournament final in five years at New York last year, but was knocked out in the second round at the Australian Open by Victoria Azarenka. The 2011 Dubai champion has done well here, though, making a semi-final or better on each of her last four trips. No reason why she will not keep that streak going.
– Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska: The 2012 Dubai champion looked in good form in Australia, winning her first three matches in straight sets, with a bagel (6-0) in each of those matches, before being knocked out by Venus. The Pole has made only one major final (2012 Wimbledon) in her career, but she is the winner of the WTA Fan Favourite Singles Player award for the past four years and will be one of the star attractions here.
– Spain’s Garbine Muguruza: Hailed as a star of the future, Muguruza announced herself on the big stage in January last year when she won in Hobart and then knocked out Wozniacki from the Australian Open. She then beat Serena Williams 6-2, 6-2 in the second round of the French Open and looked like she could repeat that feat at the Australian Open last month after winning the first set 6-2, but the world No 1 and eventual champion prevailed in three.
– Russia’s Ekaterina Makarova: At a career-high No 9 in the rankings following her run to the semis of the Australian Open, the 26-year-old Russian will be high on confidence and can only improve a disappointing record in Dubai. Having also reached the last four at the US Open, Makarova has only one win in six main-draw appearances here, but not many will be queuing up to take her on in the first-round this time.
– Petra Kvitova of Czech Republic: One of the four former champions in the fray, the Czech has failed to win her opening match on three of the four occasions she has been here, losing to opponents such as Julia Schruff and Ayumi Morita on her first two visits before winning the title in 2013. Another first-round exit last year makes it difficult to predict her fortunes this year.
– Ana Ivanovic of Serbia: Another former world No 1 who is enjoying a resurgence after having slipped to as low as No 65. But the Serb was a first-round casualty at the Australian Open, falling to No 142-ranked Czech qualifier Lucie Hradecka. Her earliest loss at a grand slam tournament since her first-round defeat at the 2011 French Open. Will be looking to make that loss a minor blip with a strong show here.
– Belinda Bencic of Switzerland: Another member of the Generation Next, the Swiss, 17, coached by Martina Hingis’s mother Melanie Molitor, became the youngest US Open quarter-finalist in 17 years last September, beating top-10 players such as Angelique Kerber and Jankovic along the way. Her performance got her the 2014 Newcomer of the Year award, and UAE tennis fans will have the chance to watch one of the game’s brightest young talents in action.
– Venus Williams of the United States: A year ago, Venus arrived in Dubai as a wild card, ranked a modest No 48 in the world, and she returned home with her biggest title since the 2010 Madrid Open, defeating players such as Ivanovic and Wozniacki along the way. In the final she met Frenchwoman Alize Cornet, who dashed hopes of a dream all-Williams final by knocking out Serena in the semis.
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