Australian Open - Women's entry list: Serena Williams comes back
All the top 102 players are committed to the Australian Open main draw, the first Major of the season that will take place from 14th to 27th January. Caroline Wozniacki is the defending champion, in the 2017 final, the Dane defeated Simona Halep, prevailing in a three-set final, 7-6, 3-6, 6-4. The day after, the Romanian was hospitalised following an illness. Serena Williams will also be playing her first Australian Open since 2017, when she won the title while eight weeks pregnant. The American has won seven titles in eight finals played (the only loss came in 2016 to Angelique Kerber) and she will seek her 24th Major. Two out of these seven titles came in the final against Maria Sharapova in 2007 and 2015. The Russian triumphed in 2008 defeating Ana Ivanovic in the championship clash. The world no. 103 Sachia Vickery is the first alternate.
Maria Sharapova officially committed to the St. Petersburg Open that will take place from 28 January 2018 to 5 February 2019. The Russian tennis player will come to Europe after the Australian Open, providing she is injury-free, which has not always been the case in the last years. Three top-10 players have committed to the event: the defending champion Petra Kvitova, Kiki Bertens and Daria Kasatkina. The organizers have chosen not to take any risk and so they did not negotiate with Simona Halep, who withdrew earlier this year, and Caroline Wozniacki who was tired after winning her maiden Grand Slam title at the Australian Open. The 2017 champion and defending finalist Kristina Mladenovic, as well as Jelena Ostapenko, Julia Goerges and Aryna Sabalenka have all committed to play. Camila Giorgi is set to make her first appearance. The Italian has already delivered great performances in the past on indoor hard-courts winning in Linz. The world no. 47 Alize Cornet is the last player who closes the entry list.
Garbine Muguruza is the main star in the Thailand Open that takes place in the same week as St. Petersburg. The event will replace the Taiwan Open that was forced to relocate after three editions. In 2016 Venus Williams won, in 2017 Elina Svitolina and this year Timea Babos defeated Kateryna Kozlova in the final. It will be a busy first quarter of the season for Muguruza who will also play in Doha and Dubai in February, Indian Wells and Miami in March.
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from Tennis World USA http://bit.ly/2Si0Jg4
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