Six top 10 players, including Roland Garros champion Ashleigh Barty, defending champion Karolina Pliskova and 2019 Australian Open winner Naomi Osaka, Elina Svitolina, Petra Kvitova and Kiki Bertens, will be in the spotlight at the Brisbane International, the first WTA Premier tournament of the season.
Local favourite Ashleigh Barty could face either Maria Sharapova in a potential blockbuster second round clash. The 2019 WTA Finals champion could meet either Petra Kvitova or Sloane Stephens in the quarter final. Elina Svitolina, Madison Keys, Angelique Kerber loom as potential semifinal rivals. Barty could become the first Australian player a WTA Tour title on soil since Jarmila Wolfe in Hobart 2011. Barty’s main goal is to become the first Australian Open in 42 years.
Karolina Pliskova beat Lesla Tsurenko 4-6 7-5 6-2 in last year’s Brisbane final and won two of the last three editions of the Australian tournament. The Czech player will face either Ajla Tomljanovic or Priscilla Hon.
Naomi Osaka will open her season with a first-round match against Maria Sakkari. If she advances to the second round the Japanese player could meet US Sofia Kenin in the second round, and Kiki Bertens, Dayana Yastremska, Hsieh Su-Wei or Anett Kontaveit in the quarter final. Bertens will face Yastremska in one of the most interesting first round matches.
Former Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber will face Samantha Stosur in the opening round and either Madison Keys or a qualifier in the second round.
Sloane Stephens will face a qualifier in the opening round and the winner of the match between Petra Kvitova and Anastasya Pavlyuchenkova.
