2020 Dubai Championships - WTA Premier. Kim Clijsters returns!

[Aussie Darcy]

This is going to be one good week of tennis.

Premier tournament with a stacked draw that's headlined by the return of Kim Clijsters, she will be playing for the first time since the 2012 US Open. She opens against Bertens.

It's also the first WTA tournament for Sofia Kenin since winning the Australian Open.

The seeded players are: Halep, Pliskova, Svitolina, Bencic, Kenin, Bertens, Sabalenka and Martic.

Basically every unseeded player in the draw is great from Riske to Wang to Muguruza.

The wildcards went to Jabeur, Svitolina, Muguruza and Clijsters. Rybakina got in through special entry too.

Lots of juicy 1R matches:
Mertens v Wang
Svitolina v Muguruza
Bertens v Clijsters
Bencic v Pavs

Draw: https://www.wtatennis.com/tournament/718/dubai/2020/draws
Order of play: https://dubaidutyfreetennischampionships.com/scores/order-of-play/

Stacked qualifying draw too:

 

[Aussie Darcy]

Also, some major controversy with the other WTA event that was meant to be on this week in Hungary.

The tournament was originally held in Budapest but was supposed to move to Debrecen this year but there was a lack of communication between organizers and the WTA and it got cancelled.

Dubai's qualifying draw was expanded to accommodate the singles players put out by this unfortunate miscommunication and went from 32 to 48 players and qualifiers went from the usual 4 to 6.

Those 16 additional spots were reserved for players who had been entered in Debrecen. Two spots were added to the main draw in lieu of byes for the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds. The draw went from 28 to 30 with the two extra qualifiers.

Unfortunately no allowance was made for those in doubles who were put out by this.

 

[Red Rick]

Pleaze Kim beat Bertens.

 

[spystud]

Sofia/Rybakina R1 sucks for both of them.

 

[I Am Finnish]

Clijsters to take the title

 

[flyingboris]

I wish Bertens well, but I'd love to see Kim take a few matches!

 

[Aussie Darcy]

Bertens has withdrawn. In her defense, she is into the St Petersburg final and would then have to fly to Dubai and play Clijsters. Can understand withdrawing from that one.

Clijsters now faces Muguruza who got bumped up from being unseeded to being #9.

Garbie went from facing Svitolina to Clijsters. Not much luck in being 'seeded'.

 

[D-Lite]

Bertens has withdrawn. In her defense, she is into the St Petersburg final and would then have to fly to Dubai and play Clijsters. Can understand withdrawing from that one.

Clijsters now faces Muguruza who got bumped up from being unseeded to being #9.

Garbie went from facing Svitolina to Clijsters. Not much luck in being 'seeded'.

Yeah, I mean Svitolina isn't in amazing form ATM but I wonder if her losing early in Hua Hin was somewhat to get to Dubai 'fresh'? Same for Wang Qiang. Obviously they would probably want to win Hua Hin or why would you be there, but I do wonder when a huge tournament is the week after if they'd really want to hang around what, 10 hours flight away or something?

I'm very intrigued as to how well Clusters can play in her first match against someone who just made a GS final. Hopefully Garbine keeps her form from that tournament - I think it would be embarrassjng to get a thumping from Clijsters so early in her comeback.

 

[Aussie Darcy]

Yeah, I mean Svitolina isn't in amazing form ATM but I wonder if her losing early in Hua Hin was somewhat to get to Dubai 'fresh'? Same for Wang Qiang. Obviously they would probably want to win Hua Hin or why would you be there, but I do wonder when a huge tournament is the week after if they'd really want to hang around what, 10 hours flight away or something?

I'm very intrigued as to how well Clusters can play in her first match against someone who just made a GS final. Hopefully Garbine keeps her form from that tournament - I think it would be embarrassjng to get a thumping from Clijsters so early in her comeback.

Svitolina hasn't won a title since the YEC at the end of 2018, she didn't win a title in all of 2019 and is tite-less at the moment despite being #4. I would've thought you'd rather have a title instead of prepare for a brutally loaded Premier draw like Dubai. Svitolina would likely have to beat two top 10 players to win this title, besides the WTA finals (2018 and 2019) she only has one top 10 win since May 2018 and that was against Keys at last years USO. Of course she did beat 5 top 10 players at the YEC in 2018 and 3 in 2019.

Svitolina got lucky with Bertens withdrawal shifting Muguruza to a seeded spot instead of facing Elina. Garbie of course beat Svitolina in the Aus Open 3R so she may have been favoured to cause the upset in that 1R. Svitolina now faces a qualifier/lucky loser then Vondrousova/Sevastova and then Yastremska/Clijsters/Muguruza.

I just can't see her going any further than a QF and if she does then she has Halep or Sabalenka in the SF and Pliskova/Kenin/Bencic in the final.

 

[PDJ]

 

[helixx]

Kim has such a beautiful strokes

 

[Nostradamus]

Kim has such a beautiful strokes

her body look fat. why is that ?

 

[fundrazer]

Kim seems to be hitting a pretty good ball at times, but struggling to maintain that during a rally. Earlier she was having trouble stringing 2-3 shots together. Doing better now but still missing a lot.

 

[tennisgurl]

I think she needs to work a bit on getting more matches under the belt. Still hitting very very clean

 

[Aussie Darcy]

Garbie gets it done in straights. Good second set and great to see Kim back. Was a tough draw to return against the Aus Open runner up.

 

[chicagodude]

Garbie gets it done in straights. Good second set and great to see Kim back. Was a tough draw to return against the Aus Open runner up.

This was already much better than anyone could realistically hope for. After so long away from the game and immediately against a resurgent and in-form top player, really welldone.

 

[Mainad]

her body look fat. why is that ?

7 years off the tour and 3 kids?

 

[Mainad]

What's Ash Barty doing this week?

 

[Nostradamus]

What's Ash Barty doing this week?

she's having fun , surfing from what I heard.

 

[AM75]

So Kim comes back from years of retirement and edged a recent AO finalist. All the WTA haters should already be here screaming their usual „week era“!

 

[spystud]

Kim didn’t win.

 

[I Am Finnish]

https://t.co/b5A3tSgxq8

The crowd went nuts

She didnt win but it is okay great to see her back

 

[Nostradamus]

Just imagine what will happen if she and not Serena win a slam this year.

Kim will beat Serena this year in the US open final

 

[spystud]

3 & 2 for Vondrousova over Sevastova to end the day.

 

[chicagodude]

So Kim comes back from years of retirement and edged a recent AO finalist. All the WTA haters should already be here screaming their usual „week era“!

That's a really short era then

 

[AM75]

That's a really short era then

Dick fingers and autocorrect do no good. But you know what I mean

 

[oldmanfan]

Kim's gonna do some damage this year if she stays healthy. Kim was hitting well after going down a double break at 0-3 in set2. Mugu was in danger of bowing out if Kim pulled out set2. Mugu was hitting hard, deep, and consistent or Kim could've won this. That's a great sign from Kim's view. A bit more fitness and match play and she'll be set.

 

[AM75]

WTH happened to Svitolina?

 

[Aussie Darcy]

Svitolina already down a set and break already by Brady.

She's defending SF points from last year. Not looking good at all.

 

[I Am Finnish]

Whats Up with Elina this year? she is getting routined everytime

 

[oldmanfan]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1229715653399019520

 

[Aussie Darcy]

Man, Svitolina's losses this year are seriously lopsided.

Brisbane 1R: Lost 6-1 6-1 to Collins
Aus Open 3R: Lost 6-2 6-1 to Muguruza
Hua Hin QF: Lost 6-4 6-2 to Hibino
Dubai 1R: Lost 6-2 6-1 to Brady

She's now currently 4-4 in 2020.

 

[Aussie Darcy]

Bencic led 5-0 in the first set and won the first 19 points of the match. Pavlyuchenkova however wins 1-6 6-1 6-1.

Truly crazy.

 

[Aussie Darcy]

Bencic was defending the title and it was a Premier 5 last year so she was defending 900 points. Had just hit a career high #4 this week, now down to #9.

 

[D-Lite]

Bencic was defending the title and it was a Premier 5 last year so she was defending 900 points. Had just hit a career high #4 this week, now down to #9.

She may have been #4 worthy at some point last year but definitely not based on any form this year.

 

[spystud]

Are these birds in the background? Annoying as hell on TV.

 

[spystud]

Yastremska was up a double break @ 5-2 in the 3rd, lost in a breaker to Kudermetova.

 

[spystud]

Kudermetova is freaking little.

 

[Harry_Wild]

Lots of Qualifiers beating ranked and something seeded players in the 1st round!

Just proves that you go through qualifying to get to main draw, you are someone not to take lightly especially in the 1st of the tournament!

 

[Harry_Wild]

Bencic will remember PAVLYUCHENKOVA destroying her in the last two set of a 3 setter!

 

[Harry_Wild]

Cluster was impressive in second set but lost 2-6, 6-7 against Muguruza #16!

 

[spystud]

Sofia v. Rybakina up now on Centre.

 

[elkwood]

sofia takes the first set 76

 

[bezs]

Svitolina's in a real funk at the moment the loss at Hua Hin now early in Dubai.

 

[Aussie Darcy]

Kenin loses to Rybakina who continues to show she’s not to be messed with.

In 2020:
Shenzhen runner up
Hobart champ
Aus Open 3R (maiden AO too)
St Petersburg runner up
Into Dubai 2R with a win over the reigning AO champ

 

[Aussie Darcy]

Yikes, Bencic now 5-5 in 2020, in a same funk as Svitolina who's 4-4.

The top 10 in 2020 so far:
#1 Barty: 9-2
#2 Halep: 6-2
#3 Pliskova: 6-1
#4 Bencic: 5-5
#5 Andreescu: 0-0
#6 Svitolina: 4-4
#7 Kenin: 10-4
#8 Bertens: 11-2
#9 Serena: 8-2
#10 Osaka: 5-2

Tour leader?
#19 Rybakina: 16-3

 

[spystud]

Sofia can use this week off.

 

[NaomiKonjuhPotapova]

Ice princess Rybakina. She just doesn't have emotion.

I really want to see her win Premier+ or Slam.

 

[Aussie Darcy]

Absolutely baffled by next weeks entry list for Acapulco and Doha.

Why on earth is #12 Keys playing an International instead of Premier 5 Doha? She must be getting one hell of a payday to skip a Premier 5 tournament offering up to 900 points for a tournament that will get her a max 280 points. It makes sense for #2 seed Sloane since she's ranked #34 and is 0-3 this year but Keys made the Brisbane final and AO 3R and would've been the 10th seed. Could genuinely have gone deep in Doha.

 

[Aussie Darcy]

Is there a limit to how many wildcards a player can get a year? Might be a good idea for Clijsters to take one into Acapulco. Much weaker draw, could go far and bring up that ranking. Unless she's saving all the wildcards for the big tournaments.