Justine Henin, Kim Clijsters look to shake thin up at Indian Wells
Former world number ones Justine Henin and Kim Clijsters of Belgium will provide some early headaches for top seeds at the WTA Indian Wells tournament which begins Wednesday.
The 4.5 million-dollar event, played in conjunction with an ATP event that starts Thursday, also could see a potential third-round rematch of last year's final between defending champion Vera Zvonareva and 24th seed Ana Ivanovic.
With 32 seeds receiving first-round byes, the early star of the show figures to be Henin, the 27-year-old who lost to Serena Williams in the Australian Open final and US Open champion Clijsters at the Brisbane final.
Henin, who won at Indian Wells in 2004, opens against Slovakia?s Magdalena Rybarikova and if she advances will face 31st-seeded Gisela Dulko of Argentina for a possible third-round encounter with fifth seed Agneiszka Radwanska of Poland.
Russian fourth seed Elena Dementieva is also in Henin's quarter of the draw.
Clijsters, a 14th-seeded two-time Indian Wells champion, opens with a second-round tie against Germany's Andrea Petkovic or Czech Barbora Strycova Zahlavova. She could face top seed Svetlana Kuznetsova in the fourth round.
Russian star Kuznetsova's path to a third career Indian Wells final could also see her face Serbian sixth seed Jelena Jankovic or Italy's ninth-seeded Flavia Pennetta in the quarter-finals.
Kuznetsova opens in the second round against either Alize Cornet of France or Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain. Last year, Kuznetsova suffered her earliest loss at Indian Wells when she fell to Poland's Urszula Radwanska in her opener.
Russian 12th seed Zvonareva beat 2008 champion Ivanovic of Serbia to take the 2009 crown and opens her title defense against either a qualifier or Czech Lucie Hradecka. Ivanovic opens with a qualifier or Latvian Anastasija Sevastova.
Zvonareva or Ivanovic could face eighth seed Samantha Stosur of Australia in the fouth round with two-time Indian Wells champion Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia or third seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus possible quarter-final foes.
Danish second seed Caroline Wozniacki could meet Russian 10th seed and 2006 Indian Wells winner Maria Sharapova in the quarter-finals.
But Sharapova, who won last month at Memphis, could face two Australian Open semi-finalists from China in her path to the last eight - 18th seed Zheng Jie in the third round and seventh seed Li Na in the fourth round.
The 4.5 million-dollar event, played in conjunction with an ATP event that starts Thursday, also could see a potential third-round rematch of last year's final between defending champion Vera Zvonareva and 24th seed Ana Ivanovic.
With 32 seeds receiving first-round byes, the early star of the show figures to be Henin, the 27-year-old who lost to Serena Williams in the Australian Open final and US Open champion Clijsters at the Brisbane final.
Henin, who won at Indian Wells in 2004, opens against Slovakia?s Magdalena Rybarikova and if she advances will face 31st-seeded Gisela Dulko of Argentina for a possible third-round encounter with fifth seed Agneiszka Radwanska of Poland.
Russian fourth seed Elena Dementieva is also in Henin's quarter of the draw.
Clijsters, a 14th-seeded two-time Indian Wells champion, opens with a second-round tie against Germany's Andrea Petkovic or Czech Barbora Strycova Zahlavova. She could face top seed Svetlana Kuznetsova in the fourth round.
Russian star Kuznetsova's path to a third career Indian Wells final could also see her face Serbian sixth seed Jelena Jankovic or Italy's ninth-seeded Flavia Pennetta in the quarter-finals.
Kuznetsova opens in the second round against either Alize Cornet of France or Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain. Last year, Kuznetsova suffered her earliest loss at Indian Wells when she fell to Poland's Urszula Radwanska in her opener.
Russian 12th seed Zvonareva beat 2008 champion Ivanovic of Serbia to take the 2009 crown and opens her title defense against either a qualifier or Czech Lucie Hradecka. Ivanovic opens with a qualifier or Latvian Anastasija Sevastova.
Zvonareva or Ivanovic could face eighth seed Samantha Stosur of Australia in the fouth round with two-time Indian Wells champion Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia or third seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus possible quarter-final foes.
Danish second seed Caroline Wozniacki could meet Russian 10th seed and 2006 Indian Wells winner Maria Sharapova in the quarter-finals.
But Sharapova, who won last month at Memphis, could face two Australian Open semi-finalists from China in her path to the last eight - 18th seed Zheng Jie in the third round and seventh seed Li Na in the fourth round.
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