Dubai: The draw is out for the Dubai Duty Free Women's Open starting today. And once again, Dubai Duty Free, owners and organisers of this annual competition, has assembled one of the finest fields for two weeks of intense tennis action: seven of the top ten in the women's and eight of the top ten in the men's.
Heading the field in the women's is defending champion Caroline Wozniacki. In fact she is the lone former champion in this year's draw. But then there are the growing ranks of challengers starting from her good friend and current world number one Victoria Azarenka, world number two Petra Kvitova and Australian Samantha Stosur along with two-time Grand Slam winner Svetlana Kuznetsova and 2005 finalist Jelena Jankovic.
The men's competition too should be something to watch out for with former world number one Roger Federer seeking a record fifth title here even as the current world number one Novak Djokovic bids to tie Federer's record of four. And should he do that then the Serb will be one up on Federer as no one has ever won four straight titles here.
The draws for the women's singles conducted on Saturday threw up some interesting battles on the cards.
Kuznetsova, losing finalist to Wozniacki last year, has a demanding challenge as she faces Germany's Julia Goerges, while seventh seed and former French Open champion Francesca Schiavone will not have things easy as she prepares for a tough first round against another former French Open champion, Ana Ivanovic, who looked sharp in patches during a practice session on centre court here yesterday evening.
With the top four seeds — Azarenka, Kvitova, Wozniacki and Stosur — receiving a first-round bye, they are sure to be tested in the second round when they come up against a group of challengers who look likely occupants at the top of the standings.
Uncertain situation
Wimbledon champion Kvitova could run into Dominika Cibulkova, who ended the 2011 season by reaching the final in Linz and then winning her maiden title in Moscow, and fourth seed Stosur — a finalist in Doha yesterday — is likely to face Lucie Safarova — the in-form Czech, who upset both Wozniacki and Kuznetsova at the Doha Open.
Azarenka will not have it easy with last month's Australian Open winner opening her campaign here either against last year's losing finalist Kuznetsova or Goerges, while defending champion Wozniacki, seeded third here, faces a prospective showdown with former junior world number one Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in her opener.
If top prospects look uncertain in women's competition, it is a similar situation in the men's competition that is scheduled to commence with the qualifiers from February 25. With a red-hot Djokovic leading the stars, it could go any way should players like Federer or losing Australian Open finalist Andy Murray or Jo-Wilfred Tsonga begin firing.
Favourite stop
Perhaps, Colm McLoughlin, executive vice-chairman of Dubai Duty Free, put things in perspective.
"Very few tournaments in the world can boast so many of the top players, and we are delighted that so many of them make the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships one of their favourite stops," he said.
For the time-being, the action will be on the ladies, and any keen tennis fan ought to just pop over at the Dubai Tennis Stadium and have a glimpse of some top-flight action during the course of the week.
Surely, it can't get any better than this.
