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Sony Ericsson Open – the women’s draw


 

Originally published on: 26/02/10 15:43

The draw for the Sony Ericsson Open has thrown up the possibility of a Venus-Serena semi in the top half of the 96-player WTA Tour Premier event.

Serena is top seed and defending champion at the $4.5 million tournament but might have to get past sister Venus to add to the five titles she has already collected at Crandon Park.

The world No.1, who returns to the tour after skipping Indian Wells, like all 32 seeds has a bye into round two where shell take on either Switzerlands Timea Bacsinszky or American wild card Alexa Glatch.

Serena could come up against player-of-the-moment Vera Zvonareva in the last eight the Russian world No.5 arrives in Florida after winning the BNP Paribas Open in California last Sunday.

Venus has been placed in the same quarter as third seed Jelena Jankovic who could have a tough assignment against Argentine Gisela Dulko in her first match in the second round should the Argentine get past Lourdes Dominguez Lino in round one.

Venus will open up against either Israeli Shahar Peer or Tamaryn Hendler from Belgium.

The bottom half features a host of big names second seed Dinara Safina, fourth seed Elena Dementieva, seventh seed Ana Ivanovic, and Indian Wells semi-finalists Victoria Azarenka and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

Safina finds herself in a particularly strong quarter which features Ivanovic, Azarenka and Pavlyuchenkova.

The match of the second round may prove to be a clash between 11th seed Azarenka and 17-year-old Russian Pavlyuchenkova, who faces a qualifier in the first round.

British No.1 Anne Keothavong also finds herself in the bottom half and takes on Czech lefty Lucie Safarova in the first round.

The winner will earn a shot at the 18th seed Patty Schnyder from Switzerland. Keothavong and Safarova have never played before.

Thirteenth seed Caroline Wozniacki is a potential third round opponent and the duo are also in the same quarter as Dementieva.

Another Brit, Mel South, is also in Miami and she made it into the second round of qualifying event on Monday when she beat Canadian Stephanie Dubois. South needs to beat Austrian Tamira Paszek on Tuesday to make it into the main draw.

To check out the draws in full visit the official Sony Ericsson Open website.

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Tim Farthing, Tennishead Editorial Director & Owner, has been a huge tennis fan his whole life. He's a tennis journalist and entrepreneur as well as playing tennis to a national standard. He also helps manage his local club and volunteers for his local tennis organisation. He's a specialist in content about the administration of professional tennis and tennis coaching for all levels.