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WTA Previews: Sydney, Hobart
Posted on January 6, 2008
One week remains until the start of the Australian Open, and the top players take to the court this week in Sydney at the Medibank International, which features the Top 4 players on the WTA Tour Rankings, and seven out of the Top 10.
World No. 1 Justine Henin makes her 2008 debut, joined by No. 2 Svetlana Kuznetsova, No. 3 Jelena Jankovic, No. 4 Ana Ivanovic, No. 6 Anna Chakvetadze, No. 9 Daniela Hantuchova, and No. 10 Marion Bartoli.
Wildcards for the event went to Aussies Alicia Molik and Nicole Pratt, and Russian Nadia Petrova.
Henin will not have an easy time, with rising Czech Lucie Safarova lurking in the second round, No. 8 Elena Dementieva in the quarters, and Ivanovic in the semis. Kuznetsova is slated to face the victor of Jankovic and Hantuchova in the semis.
Hobart by contrast features no Top 20 players, with the Ukraine's Alona Bondarenko upholding the top seeding.
Also seeded in Hobart are Russian Vera Zvonareva, Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska, Belarus' Victoria Azarenka, India's Sania Mirza, Spaniard Anabel Medina Garrigues, and Argentina's Gisela Dulko.
Amelie Mauresmo and Na Li pulled from Sydney citing injuries.
Mauresmo cited a left adductor strain, and Li has a right knee injury.
"Unfortunately I have re-injured my left adductor," Mauresmo said in a statement. "I felt it yesterday during my training session and did not practice today. This is an injury that I am familiar with and know that it will not get better overnight."
Li won the Australian Women's Hardcourt on the Gold Coast on Saturday in her first tournament back after a six-month injury layoff.
"The problem with my knee seemed to get a little worse after I tried to practice this morning and I just could not move very well," Li said.
Kim Clijsters won Sydney in 2007, topping Jankovic in the three-set final. Chakvetadze was the winner in Hobart in 2007 as the top seed.
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