The Peninsula
Five former champions and several former world number ones will line up in the opening round of the 20th Qatar TotalEnergies Open, which begins in Doha today, with WTA 1000 series making its debut at the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex.
With eight of the world’s top 10 players, including top seed and World No: 2 Sabalenka receiving first-round byes in the 56-player draw, the first round action will see a number of exciting face-offs.
Defending champion Petra Kvitova will be targeting her third title at the premier event after regaining her form last week in Dubai, where she defeated Sabalenka before narrowly losing in a decisive third-set tiebreaker against Jelena Ostapenko.
The two-time Major winner takes on Romanian Irina-Camelia Begu today as she looks to improve on her impressive record in Qatar. Czech Kvitova who won the Doha title in 2018 and last year, is one of the most successful players in the history of the Qatar event, winning 14 of her 15 matches.
However, there won’t be a repeat of last year’s final this week as Kvitova is placed on a collision course with her counterpart in the 2021 title-clash - No.5 seed Garbine Muguruza of Spain in the third round.
Muguruza is a two-time Doha finalist, falling to Kvitova in the championship match in both 2018 and last year.
Kvitova will face Irina-Camelia Begu in the first round.
Belarusian Victoria Azarenka also seeks her third Doha title. Azarenka, who won the event back-to-back in 2012 and 2013 and reached the final in 2015, will play Yulia Putintseva.
Elise Mertens, title winner in 2019, and former World No.1 Simona Halep, who clinched the title in 2014, and Vera Zvonareva, the 2011 Doha champion and 2008 runner-up, will also make their first round appearances today.
Another former World No:1, Angelique Kerber will meet this week’s Dubai quarter-finalist Jil Teichmann on the opening day.
Apart from Sabalenka and Muguruza, those who will await the winners of today’s matches after received first round byes are, Barbora Krejcikova, Paula Badosa, Anett Kontaveit, Maria Sakkari, Iga Swiatek and Ons Jabeur, all of which are included in the top 10 list of the WTA rankings.
The only Top 10 players missing from the Doha field are World No.1 Ashleigh Barty, who opted to skip the Middle East swing, and No.4 Karolina Pliskova, who is still recovering from an ongoing hand injury that has delayed her start to the season.
The Qatar TotalEnergies Open and Dubai Duty Free Championships alternate between WTA 1000 and WTA 500 levels each year. With Doha holding the WTA 500 designation last season, this year it is a WTA 1000.
Centre Court
Not before 3:30PM
Belinda Bencic (SUI) vs Clara Tauson (DEN)
Followed by
Jessica Pegula (USA) [9] vs Katerina Siniakova (CZE)
Followed by
Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) vs Victoria Azarenka (BLR) [12]
Followed by
Liudmila Samsonova (RUS) vs [WC] Alizé Cornet (FRA)
Grandstand 1
Starting at: 2:00PM
Sorana Cirstea (ROU) vs [WC] Mayar Sherif (EGY)
Followed by
[WC] Vera Zvonareva (RUS) vs Alison Van Uytvanck (BEL)
Followed by
Sofia Kenin (USA) vs Ann Li (USA)
Followed by
Amanda Anisimova (USA) vs [Q] Beatriz Haddad Maia (BRA)
Grandstand 2
Starting at: 3:30PM
Madison Brengle (USA) vs [WC] Ipek Oz (TUR)
Followed by
[Q] Stefanie Voegele (SUI) vs [Q] Kaja Juvan (SLO)
Followed by
[Q] Shuai Zhang (CHN) vs [Q] Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR)
Grandstand 3
Starting at: 3:30PM
[Q] Marta Kostyuk (UKR) vs Ana Konjuh (CRO)
Followed by
Darija Jurak Schreiber (CRO)/Jasmine Paolini (Ita) vs Anna Bondar (HUN)/Jaqueline Cristian (ROU)
After suitable rest
Mubaraka Al Naimi (QAT)/Ipek Oz (TUR) vs Shuko Aoyama (JPN)/Aleksandra Krunic (SRB)
Grandstand 4
Starting at: 3:30PM
Viktorija Golubic (SUI)/Arantxa Rus (NED) vs Alexa Guarachi (CHN) [5]/
Nicole Melichar-Martinez (USA)
Followed by
Natela Dzalamidze (RUS)/Tereza Martincova (CZE) vs Hao-Ching Chan (TPE)/Demi Schuurs (NED)
Followed by
Ulrikke Eikeri (NOR)/[Sr] Alexandra Panova (RUS) vs Eri Hozumi/Makoto Ninomiya (JPN)