Justine Henin, Maria Sharapova Favored to Reach Madrid WTA Championships

The all-Russian encounter between Anna Chakvetadze and Maria Sharapova commence open singles player. This will be followed by reigning champion Justine Henin's clash against Ana Ivanovic, before the match-up between the top seeds, Cara Black and Liezel Huber, and the in-form Kveta Peschke and Rennae Stubbs brings proceedings to a close.

The day's opening doubles match pits the No.2 doubles seeds, Ai Sugiyama and Katarina Srebotnik, against Chinese Taipei's Chan Yung-Jan and Chuang Chia-Jung.

(7) ANNA CHAKVETADZE (RUS) vs. (6) MARIA SHARAPOVA (RUS)
Head-to-Head: Sharapova leads 5-0

Sixth official meeting between the Russians and first indoors (although Sharapova withdrew from a scheduled QF meeting at 2006 Moscow w/right foot strain); Chakvetadze is yet to beat Sharapova.

Chakvetadze makes the semifinals in her Sony Ericsson Championships debut, while Sharapova has now reached the semifinals (or better) in all four of her career appearances.

Having only scored one Top 5 win for the entire season prior to Madrid, Sharapova has beaten two (No.2 Kuznetsova, No.4 Ivanovic) to finish top of the Red Group.

2007 indoors win-loss records: Chakvetadze 11-7; Sharapova 5-2.

(1) JUSTINE HENIN (BEL) vs. (4) ANA IVANOVIC (SRB)
Head-to-Head: Henin leads 2-0

Third career meeting between Henin and Ivanovic but first indoors; Ivanovic has yet to take a set from Henin.

Henin brings a 23-match win streak into the match, the longest on Tour since her own 24-match unbeaten run in early 2005 (snapped with a 1r loss at Wimbledon).

Henin is aiming to become the first woman since Graf in 1989 to go unbeaten in the second half of a season (post-Wimbledon).

Ivanovic is one of two debutantes who have reached this year's singles semifinals (alongside Chakvetadze).

Henin was one of three former champions and former/current No.1s competing in Madrid (alongside Sharapova, S.Williams).

Should Henin successfully defend her title in Madrid, she will become the first player to win 10 Tour singles titles in a season since Martina Hingis won 12 in 1997; she will also become the first woman since Steffi Graf in 1996 to win Roland Garros, the US Open and the Season-Ending Championships in the same year. (WTA)