Azarenka, Wozniacki on collision course in Dubai

Belarusian Azarenka, the recently-crowned Australian Open victor, has been pitted in the same half of the 32-strong competition as Wozniacki, of Denmark, whom the former replaced at the top of the global rankings after Melbourne.

Both Azarenka and Wozniacki, as the first and third seeds respectively, won’t be in competitive action until Tuesday at the earliest as the top four seeds enjoy first-round byes initially.

Their prospective paths through to that potential last-four showdown are though fraught with considerable obstacles at every turn.

Azarenka could face last year’s runner-up, Svetlana Kuznetsova, of Russia, or Germany’s Julia Goerges in the second round, while Slovakian Daniela Hantuchova or sixth seed Marion Bartoli, of France, may represent her quarter-final opposition.

Wozniacki, meanwhile, might encounter heavy-hitting Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova or a qualifier first up, with Pavlyuchenkova’s compatriot Maria Kirilenko, Italy’s Francesca Schiavone – the seventh seed – or Ana Ivanovic, of Serbia, perhaps next in line.

On the opposite half, second seed Petra Kvitova will tackle Slovakia’s Dominika Cibulkova or a qualifier in the second round, prior to meeting Israeli wildcard Shahar Peer, Sabine Lisicki, of Germany, or Polish fifth seed Agnieszka Radwanska thereafter.

Kvitova’s route to the semi-final stage arguably appears the easiest of the four top seeds’ pathways, whereas Australian fourth seed Samantha Stosur’s passage looks the most difficult.

Stosur has been pitted against Czech Lucie Safarova – Wozniacki’s conqueror at this week’s Qatar Ladies Open – or a qualifier in the second round and Serbian eighth seed Jelena Jankovic or Flavia Pennetta, of Italy, are also in her quarter of the draw.

The mouth-watering ties of the first round include: Ivanovic against Schiavone, Radwanska versus Lisicki and Peer against Omani wildcard Fatma Al Nabhani.

Elsewhere, Tunisian starlet Ons Jabeur, 17, pulled off a stunning upset to oust China’s Jie Zheng from the first round of qualifying.

Zheng, the number one seed for the two preliminary phases, was the overwhelming favourite heading into the encounter, but 2011 French Open junior champion Jabeur – a wildcard – surprisingly prevailed in straight sets with a 6-3, 7-6 (4) victory.

Zheng was not the only seeded player to lose either, with Australia’s Casey Dellacqua beating seventh seed Klara Zakopalova, of the Czech Republic, 6-4, 1-6, 6-2, and Kateryna Bondarenko, of the Ukraine, defeating sixth-seeded South African Chanelle Scheepers 5-7, 6-4, 6-2.

The Dubai-based, home-crowd favourite Sania Mirza, of India, who – like Jabeur – was a wildcard entrant, lost in three sets to Canada’s Aleksandra Wozniak 6-2, 3-6, 2-6.