Davenport, Williams Sisters, Russians Headline WTA Dubai

You know the under-the-table guarantee money was flowing like the proverbial Texas tea when WTA Dubai organizers are able to get both Williams sisters to play in the same non-slam event.

This week's Dubai Duty Free Women's Open features six of the Top 10-ranked players on the WTA Rankings in Lindsay Davenport, Serena and Venus Williams, Russians Anastasia Myskina and Svetlana Kuznetsova, and Aussie break-out player Alicia Molik.

Also among the seeded are France's Nathalie Dechy, and Swiss Patty Schnyder.

Dubai is Davenport's first career appearance in the Middle East.

The top four seeds receive first-round byes in typical WTA early-round-mojo-killing style, but a few opening-round matches of interest abound in (8) Schnyder vs. Maggie Maleeva, (5) Venus vs. Top 25-ranked Italian Silvia Farina Elia, (4) Kuznetsova with a potential second-round meeting with wildcard Indian sweetheart Sania Mirza, and (6) Molik vs. Daniela Hantuchova.

Potential quarterfinal meetings of interest are (2) Serena vs. (6) Molik, and (5) Venus vs. (4) Kuznetsova.

In last year's final the top-seeded Justine Henin-Hardenne overcame a tough 7-6(3), 6-3 challenge from unseeded Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova, who also paired with countrywoman Elena Likhovtseva to lose in the doubles final 6-0, 1-6, 6-3 to No. 4 seeds Janette Husarova and Conchita Martinez.

There are no former champs in the field, with Henin-Hardenne winning in 2004-03, Amelie Mauresmo winning in 2002, and Martina Hingis winning the inaugural event in 2001.