Doha, Bogota: WTA Tour Previews

Posted on February 17, 2008

The Top 10 players go where the money is this week on the WTA Tour, where eight of the Top 10 are in action at the Qatar Total Open in Doha.

Top-seeded Ana Ivanovic is joined by Svetlana Kuznetsova, Jelena Jankovic, Maria Sharapova, Anna Chakvetadze, Venus Williams, Daniela Hantuchova and Marion Bartoli among the Top 8 seeds.

Former No. 1 Amelie Mauresmo is the No. 14 seed, and could meet Sharapova in the third round. The top-seeded Ivanovic has a potential second-round meeting with Indian sensation Sania Mirza, while No. 10 Nadia Petrova and Maria Kirilenko could make for an all-Russian second-round meeting.

Skipping Doha is world No. 1 Justine Henin, who last year beat Kuznetsova for the title.

In Bogota the star power is considerably less, with no Top 20-ranked players on the clay.

Flavia Pennetta, a winner last week at Vina del Mar, is the top seed, with only one other player, Alize Cornet of France, ranked in the Top 50 at the time of entry.

In last year's final the No. 6-seeded Roberta Vinci beat the top-seeded Tathiana Garbin for the championship.