Venus Williams In, Serena Out: Sony Ericsson Miami Preview

Sony Ericsson Open
Miami, Fla., USA
March 22-April 4, 2010
Surface: hard
$4,500,000

Top 8 Seeds: Svetlana Kuznetsova, Caroline Wozniacki, Venus Williams, Victoria Azarenka, Elena Dementieva, Aggie Radwanska, Jelena Jankovic, Na Li
ADHEREL
Floaters: Shuai Peng, (WC) Alicia Molik, Sorana Cirstea, Katarina Srebotnik, Patty Schnyder, Anna Chakvetadze, Lucie Safarova, Justine Henin, Melanie Oudin, Alize Cornet, (WC) Heather Watson

Notes: All 32 seeds receive first-round byes, but potential second-round match-ups of interest are (1) Kuznetsova vs. Peng, (27) Agnes Szavay vs. (WC) Molik, (3) Venus vs. Cirstea, (19) Daniela Hantuchova vs. Srebotnik or Schnyder, (16) Nadia Petrova vs. Chakvetadze in an all-Russian, (29) Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez vs. Safarova, (5) Dementieva vs. Henin, (11) Vera Zvonareva vs. Oudin, (15) Francesca Schiavone vs. Cornet, and (2) Wozniacki vs. the British comer (WC) Watson;

Henin is in Wozniacki’s half; potential quarterfinal match-ups are Kuzy vs. Yanina Wickmayer, Venus vs. Radwanska or Ivanovic, Jankovic vs. Clijsters, and Henin vs. Wozniacki; in last year’s final Azarenka beat an injured Serena Williams, who misses this year with a knee injury; also out are Dinara Safina (back) and Maria Sharapova (elbow); returning champs in the field are Azarenka (2009), Kuznetsova (2006), Clijsters (2005), and Venus Williams (2001,’99-98).