Draw helps Wozniacki

Caroline Wozniacki will be happy with the Sony Ericsson Championships singles draw. The world number one is under pressure to prove her top ranking my winning a big event and she knows
being handed a group of Francesca Schiavone, Sam Stosur and Elena Dementieva is
as much help as she could hope for from the draw.

Those who bet on Tennis not that Stosur and Schiavone’s form has dropped away since they were surprise finalists at the French Open. They became the first Roland Garros finalists to lose in t e first
round at Wimbledon and have made little impression since, although they both
reached the US Open quarter finals.

Dementieva has struggled with injury all year, missing Wimbledon to end her run of 46 consecutive appearances in Slam main draws. She has struggled for fluency as a result and although she
has won two titles doubts over ability to maintain a high level throughout the
event will accompany her to Doha, especially as she withdrew from the
Luxembourg Open due to a reoccurrence of her foot injury.

This maroon group appears well-balanced on paper. Wozniacki has a 7-7 head-to-head record with the other three, Schiavone 9-12, Stosur 8-8 and Dementieva 14-11. Recent form is a better
indicator and Wozniacki, winner of four of her last five tournaments, must be
backed to progress.

The white group is certainly harder to predict. Overall second and third seeds Vera Zvonareva and Kim Clijsters might appear firm favourites with Tennis betting prices, but Victoria Azarenka and Jelena
Jankovic will provide tough opposition.

Clijsters and Jankovic have suffered recent injury scares and will need to be fully fit to combat the in-form Azarenka and rejuvenated Zvonareva, who is motivated by the possibility
of becoming world number one with victory in the event.