Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland addressing the media at the Qatar Total Open media centre in Doha in this file picture of February 2016. RIGHT: Angelique Kerber of Germany.
The Qatar Total Open, the prestigious WTA tournament attracts stellar line-up and its next month’s edition will be no different as an array of stars are set to compete for top honour in Doha.
The 15th edition of the premier event which will be played from February 13 to 18 at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex will witness as many as seven players from the world's top-ten club in action.
The state-of-the-art venue earlier this month saw the world’s top duo of Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic battling for trophy in the final of men’s leg and the forthcoming tournament also promises absorbing action with world No.1 Angelique Kerber spearheading the star-studded line-up.
The German will be joined by the likes of Agnieszka Radwanska, the world No. 3, No. 5-ranked Dominika Cibulkova, No. 6 Karolina Pliskova, Spain’s Garbine Muguruza, the world No. 7 as well as Svetlana Kuznetsova and Johanna Konta among others for the $776,000 total prize money event.
Defending champion Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain is also set for her title defense in Doha and she will be hoping to join the likes of Russians Maria Sharapova, Anastasia Myskina and Victoria Azarenka (Belarus) as the only two-time winners of the top-notch women's tournament.
In all, 32 players will compete in the singles event while a total of 16 pairs will be showcasing their skills in the doubles of the six-day tournament.
“It’s a great privilege to host these bevy of stars once again in Doha. Qatar has become a home for tennis and we are ready as usual to showcase the best the game can offer,” Tournament Director Saad al Mohannadi said in a statement yesterday.
“All hands are on the deck to ensure a very successful tournament and it is our belief that this year’s event will be greater than all the previous in all ramifications,” he added.
