Top players Simona Halep, Petra Kvitova and Karolina Pliskova have accepted wildcards into Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. The WTA Premier tournament now boasts six of the top 10 players.
Halep, Kvitova And Pliskova Join The Draw
World number three, Halep, had previously withdrawn from Dubai following her decision to have a surgery for her nose. She has since however postponed the surgery indefinitely and will be back to defend her title in the coming week.
Along with Halep, last year's finalist Pliskova, also accepted a wildcard into the tournament. Pliskova who had a very tight schedule last year, had initially not signed up for Dubai. But with points to defend, it only seemed right that she plays and has smartly accepted a wildcard.
Following both women, is world number nine Kvitova. The Czech has not had the greatest of starts this year. Kvitova has only one win out of the five matches she has played this year including those at the Fed Cup. Those results combining to make her drop her ranking from six to nine. But as a former 2013 Dubai champion, she will be hoping to reverse her bad start to the year in the best possible way. Currently without a coach, one wonders the effect it would have on her performances.
Radwanska And Safarova Are Out Of The Lineup
Meanwhile, Agnieszka Radwanska has pulled out of the tournament citing a left leg injury. She will be replaced by Sabine Lisicki. The 2012 champion however has mentioned she will be back to play in Doha. She joins Lucie Safarova who is on the road to recovery following her illness and is currently practising in Doha.
Even with the withdrawals, Dubai promises to be a delight to the fans with six out of the top 10 players due to compete. The tournament begins on February 15th.