Mauresmo Added, Williams Subtracted at WTA Dubai

Venus Williams barely hangs on at No. 10 on the WTA Rankings, while sister Serena's ranking is mired somewhere in the 40s, and don't look for that to change any time soon.

Both sisters withdrew from Antwerp last week, and the same this week at the Dubai Duty Free Women's Open where injuries will keep them from taking the court.

Venus withdrew citing a right arm strain, and Serena cited her ongoing knee problem.

"I don't want to compete until my knee feels completely better," said Serena, with speculation that the younger sister's weight problems are compounding the injury.

Nonetheless the late addition (and cash infusion to the Frenchwoman) of Amelie Mauresmo as the top seed compliments a strong field with additional seeds Lindsay Davenport, Maria Sharapova, Justine Henin-Hardenne making her first appearance since her controversial retirement in the Australian Open final, Nadia Petrova, Anastasia Myskina, Francesca Schiavone and Daniela Hantuchova.

The top four seeds receive byes, but early-round encounters of interest remain in (8) Hantuchova vs. Svetlana Kuznetsova in the second round, (7) Schiavone vs. Virginie Razzano in an all-Italian opener, (6) Myskina vs. Chinese comer Jie Zheng, an all-unseeded meeting that will have all of India buzzing in Martina Hingis vs. spiraling Indian Sania Mirza, and (5) Petrova vs. Russian countrywoman Maria Kirilenko.

In last year's final the top-seeded Davenport outlasted Jelena Jankovic in three sets.

On court Monday are Likhovtseva vs. Jankovic, Sugiyama vs. Safarova, Myskina vs. Zheng, N.Li vs. Hantuchova, and Dushevina vs. Bartoli.