Maria Sharapova has Confirmed her Participation in Dubai Championship 2011

January 11, 2011

As usual, the women's Dubai Championship will not lack for star power. Not when the world No 1, four former No 1s and seven of the current top 10 have committed to play in the annual event at the Aviation Club Tennis Centre.

Caroline Wozniacki holds pride of place as the current No 1, but the Dane faces competition from Venus Williams, the defending champion, as well as the three other former world No 1s who are planning to play in Dubai, Russia's Maria Sharapova and Serbia's Jelena Jankovic and Ana Ivanovic.

The US$2.05million (Dh7.5m) event, scheduled for February 14-20, also features Vera Zvonareva, the Russian world No 2 who was a two-time grand slam finalist in 2010, as well as the players ranked Nos 5-8, Williams, the American; Australian's Samantha Stosur, Italy's Francesca Schiavone and Jankovic.

Also entered is the 2010 Dubai runner-up Victoria Azarenka, the Belarussian who is No 10.

Colm McLoughlin, the managing director of the tournament owners Dubai Duty Free, said organisers are "delighted that so many grand slam champions and world No 1s are back here with us once again".

All the world's top 10 were expected to play at the 2010 Dubai event, but Nos 1 and 2, Serena Williams and Dinara Safina, did not compete. The top 10 players not expected this year are Serena Williams, who is No 4 but has not played since Wimbledon; Kim Clijsters, who is No 3 and playing a reduced schedule, and Elene Dementieva, ranked No 9 despite having announced her retirement last October.

However, 28 of the world's top 35 are planning to be in Dubai, a ratio which rivals any event that is not a grand slam.

Organisers are pleased that the 43 players entered represent 24 countries. Among them is Israel, as represented by No 13-ranked Shahar Peer. "It is fitting that the diversity of nationalities in Dubai is reflected in the number of countries represented" in the tournament, McLoughlin said. "We welcome them all."

The semi-finalists from 2010 all plan to return, with Agnieszka Radwanska, the Pole, joining Venus Williams, Azarenka and Peer.

Tickets are on sale from 10am until 9pm daily at the Dubai Tennis Stadium, Garhoud, or online at www.timeouttickets.com.

Integrates:

1. Caroline Wozniacki GIVES 1
2. Side Zvonareva RUS 2
3. Venus Williams, EE.UU. 5
4. Samantha Stosur AUS 6
5. Francesca Schiavone ITA 7
6. Jelena Jankovic SRB 8
7. Victory Azarenka BLR 10
8. Na Li CHN 11
9. Shahar Peer ISR 13
10. Agnieszka Radwanska POL 14
11. Marion Bartoli FRA 16
12. Ana Ivanovic SRB 17
13. Maria Sharapova RUS 18
14. Maria Kirilenko RUS 20
15. Kaia Kanepi EST 22
16. Yanina Wickmayer BEL 23
17. Flavia Pennetta ITA 24
18. It smooths Kleybanova RUS 25
19. Jie Zheng CHN 26
20. Svetlana Kuznetsova RUS 27
21. Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez ESP 28
22. Alexandra Dulgheru ROU 29
23. Daniela Hantuchova SVK 30
24. Dominika Cibulkova SVK 31
25. Andrea Petkovic GER 32
26. Lucie Safarova CZE 33
27. Petra Kivotova CZE 34
28. Tsvetana Pironkova BUL 35
29. Roberta Vinci ITA 38
30. Yaroslava Shvedova KAZ 39
31. Kala Zakopalova CZE 41
32. Jarmila Groth AUS 42
33. Sara Errani ITA 43
34. Patty Schnyder SUI 44
35. Anastasia Sevastova LAT 45
36. Angelique Kerber GER 46
37. Ekaterina Makarova RUS 49
38. Timea IUE Bacsinszy 50
39. Kimiko Date Krumm-JAP 51
40. Elena Vesnina RUS 52
41. Side Dushevina RUS 54
42. Elena Baltacha GBR 55
43. Anna Chakvetadze RUS 56

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