Players and officials posing for a photograph following the Qatar Total Open 2020 draw ceremony.
Australian Open quarter-finalist Ons Jabeur of Tunisia yesterday said that her impressive run Down Under has given her confidence a much-needed shot in the arm.
The 25-year-old, who lost to eventual champion Sofia Kenin in the last eight round, is keen to take her good form into the Qatar Total Open which kicks off tomorrow at the Khalifa Tennis Complex.
The Tunisian, who was present for the draw ceremony along with three other players, will aim to go past a qualifier in the first round and advance to the next stage.
“Yes, it was unbelievable,” Jabeur said about her Australian Open performance, which made her the first Arab women player to reach the last eight of the Australian Open.
“I started match by match and I was playing well there and reaching the quarter-final was amazing. As you know I lost to the eventual Grand Slam champion,” she added.
Jabeur said it was a learning experience and helped her take her game to the next level.
“There were a lot of positives, a lot of good things that I could learn and obviously improve and be able to win more matches and be more prepared for the next Grand Slams or tournament. Also last week in Dubai (Open) was good so I think it’s given me more confidence to be able to play better,” Jabeur said.
“I am mentally ready, physically also. My practice session (in Doha) has been very good. I had a really amazing pre-season, so, I think I am ready. I am putting into my head that I can win against any other player and if I put that into play, I am going to be an amazing player. I’m happy with the way that I put myself on the court especially in Australia and (I am ) hoping to continue that in this tournament,” she added.
Seven of the WTA’s top 10 will take to the courts in Doha for the first Premier 5 event on the 2020 calendar.
The top seed Ashleigh Barty could face either Alison van Uytvanck or Yaroslava Shvedova, with the latter playing her first singles event in over two years. Also in the top quarter is another Kazakh, the red-hot No.14 seed Elena Rybakina, who will face Sorana Cirstea in her opening match.
Rybakina could get an Australian Open rematch against Barty in the round of 16.
Each of the top eight seeds receive a first round bye with Simona Halep, Karolina Pliskova, Belinda Bencic, Elina Svitolina, Sofia Kenin, Kiki Bertens and Petra Kvitova rounding out the group.
Pliskova, the No.3 seed, anchors a quarter of the draw that features three former champions at the event. Pliskova won the event in 2017, and will face either Caroline Garcia or a qualifier in her first match, while Kvitova, the No.8 seed and 2018 champion, could face either 2016 winner Carla Suarez Navarro or Zhang Shuai in her first match.
2016 runner-up Jelena Ostapenko also features in this section and will face a qualifier in her first match.
Defending champion Elise Mertens faces Wang Qiang for the second week running.
Mertens, who captured her biggest career singles title last year in Qatar, could be slated for a match against No.4 seed Bencic and others against either No.5 seed Svitolina or No.9 seed and doubles partner Aryna Sabalenka later in the draw should the seeds hold.
Rounding out the bottom half of the draw is the quarter anchored by No.2 seed Halep, who was runner-up to Mertens last year.
Halep will face either Anett Kontaveit or Anastasija Sevastova in her first match, while No.7 seed Bertens, will face either Karolina Muchova or recent Hua Hin champion Magda Linette up first.
