Tough clashes on the cards as Clijster faces Bertens in 1st round

Amir Naqvi, Sports Editor

Some mouth-watering first round clashes are on the cards as the draw for the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Saturday has pitted Kim Clijsters, who is making a comeback to the WTA Tour, against No.8 seed Kiki Bertens.

In another tough clash, two-time Dubai champion Elina Svitolina will take on 2020 Australian Open finalist and two-time Grand Slam winner Garbine Muguruza.

The 36-year-old Belgian Clijsters, who has not competed since the 2012 US Open and returns to action after accepting a wildcard, has been handed a tough opening game and if she survives that battle, there are tougher challenges ahead with Svitolina or Muguruza awaiting in the second round.

Top seed and former champion Simona Halep, who has a bye into the second round, is also present in the same quarter of the draw.

The 2017 and 2018 Dubai champion Svitolina will look to avenge her recent defeat by Muguruza in the third round of the Australian Open, when the Spaniard allowed her just three games. The two wild cards had also played each other in Dubai a year ago, and Svitolina cruised to a comfortable win that time, defeating Muguruza 6-1 6-2 in the second round.

Second seed Karolina Pliskova also has a first-round bye and will start her campaign against a qualifier in the second, hoping to go one step further than she did in 2015, when she lost to Halep in the final.

“Of course, it’s great memories coming back to Dubai, it’s been five years since I played the final, but hopefully this time can also be a good tournament for me,” said Pliskova.

“I’ve had so many vacations in Dubai, it’s a lovely city, there’s lots of things to do so I’m sure we’re going to have a great time,” she added.

Halep will open her campaign against either Alison Riske or Ons Jabeur in the second round. Fourth seed and defending champion Belinda Bencic has a potential banana skin as she takes on Australian Open quarter-finalist Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who overcame both Svitolina and three-time Grand Slam winner Angelique Kerber in the US Open before losing to Muguruza.

Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin opens her campaign against Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina, the Hobart Open winner.

Kenin, who is seeded fifth, had reached the third round on her debut at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships last year. She lost to Viktoria Kuzmova.

“We are delighted to once again welcome so many of the best players in the world to Dubai,” said Colm McLoughlin, Executive Vice Chairman and CEO of Dubai Duty Free.

“The draw for our 20th anniversary of the WTA event has produced the prospect of many thrilling matches for us all to enjoy, none more so than the first round meeting between Elina Svitolina and Garbine Muguruza. We wish all the players well and look forward to seeing who will emerge as the champion.”

Tournament Director Salah Tahlak added, “So many high-ranked players are taking part in the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships that it was inevitable that we would get clashes between the very top names right from the start.

“The match between Elina Svitolina and Garbine Muguruza would not be out of place as the final at any event in the world, and it will be fascinating to see who survives to reach the second round.

“It is also an honour to welcome Kim Clijsters to Dubai for the very first time, and she clearly has a challenge on her hands in her first match for eight years,” Tahlak added.

The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, which is owned and organised by Dubai Duty Free and held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, begins with the WTA event which runs from Feb.17 to Feb.22 and then continues between Feb.24 and Feb.29 with the ATP tournament which features Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Roberto Bautista Agut.