By Chris Oddo | Saturday, February 14th, 2015

 

Venus Williams is the defending champion at the 2015 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, but she'll be challenged early and often for this year's title.

Photo Source: Dubai Duty Free Tennis

Agnieszka Radwanska is going to have to play extremely well to make any kind of run at next week's Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. Aga will have to get her head clear and start executing what she's been working on with new coach Martina Navratilova. She will also have to deal with the extra expectations that come with having a "super coach" like the 18-time major singles champion. A-rad didn't seem vastly improved in Australia and looked lost at the end of her round of 16 loss to Venus Williams. While success in Dubai isn't a must for the Radwanska-Navratilova pairing, it sure wouldn't be bad for morale.

More: Serena Williams, Eugenie Bouchard Withdraw from Dubai

We'll get to Radwanska when we review the bottom section of the Dubai draw, but for now let's look at the draw quarter by quarter. With Serena Williams pulling out, and Maria Sharapova not taking part from the start, Dubai definitely feels pretty wide open. Simona Halep gets the top seed but judging her form in losing to Ekatereina Makarova in Australia and getting blitzed by Garbine Muguruza in Fed Cup, she's not exactly striking fear into anybody's heart. Same for Caroline Wozniacki, who has made more news for swimsuits than tennis of late.

Still, both Halep and Wozniacki should hold sway rather routinely if they play their games in Dubai. It's the bottom section that promises to be a snarly-lipped, fur-in-mouth, knock-the-plants-over dogfight. The only things it is missing is party hats and a DJ--and Alize Cornet.

Here’s Haleps section:



And here’s Wozniacki’s quarter:



Halep could face Mona Barthel or Daniela Hantuchova in her second round, Shuai Peng in her third round and either Petkovic or Makarova in the quarters.

Wozniacki could face Sam Stosur or Lucic-Baroni second, Cornet third and Kerber fourth.

The bottom half gets a bit more enticing. Defending champion Venus Williams is there, as are Ana Ivanovic, Agnieszka Radwanska, Petra Kvitova, Garbine Muguruza, Caroline Garcia, Karolina Pliskova, Lucie Safarova, Jelena Jankovic, Camila Giorgi – should we continue? Oh, you get the picture? Okay.

Here’s Venus’s quarter:



And here’s Kvitova’s quarter:



After a bye, Radwanska could face Caroline Garcia, Garbine Muguruza and Petra Kvitova in succession. Kvitova could face Elina Svitolina in round two. Ivanovic, slated to faced Venus Williams in the quarterfinals if the seeds hold, could face Sabine Lisicki in the second round.

In other words, nobody is safe.

Here are my picks:

Top Quarter: Halep
2nd Quarter: Wozniacki
3rd Quarter: Ivanovic
4th Quarter: Muguruza

Semis: Halep d. Wozniacki, Muguruza d. Ivanovic

Final: Muguruza d. Halep

Enjoy!