{"id":6763,"date":"2018-02-19T07:30:04","date_gmt":"2018-02-19T12:30:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/?p=6763"},"modified":"2018-02-19T03:23:25","modified_gmt":"2018-02-19T08:23:25","slug":"five-pop-corn-first-round-match-ups-dubai","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/2018\/02\/19\/five-pop-corn-first-round-match-ups-dubai\/","title":{"rendered":"Five Pop-Corn First Round Match-Ups in Dubai"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Tennis fans know it: you don\u2019t even have time to breath after <strong>Doha<\/strong>, because it\u2019s already time for <strong>Dubai<\/strong>!<\/p>\n<p>The two Arabic tournaments are indeed what keeps tennis people warm between the <strong>Australian Open<\/strong> and <strong>Indian Wells<\/strong>. Each year, they alternate their status of Premier and Premier 5. In 2018, Doha has been a Premier 5, whereas Dubai is going to be a Premier, hence giving less points to the winner.<\/p>\n<p>Nevertheless, the entry list includes six Top 10 players&#8211;indeed, Dubai prize money is known to be pretty high. Apart from <strong>Simona Halep<\/strong> and <strong>Caroline Wozniacki<\/strong>,\u00a0<strong>Venus Williams<\/strong> and <strong>Julia Goerges<\/strong>\u00a0also gave the tournament a pass. Six Top 10 players and a last direct acceptance of #39 clearly guarantee a bunch of pop-corn first rounds. Here, I am going to deal with some of those, precisely the ones I\u2019m looking forward to.<\/p>\n<p>(5) <strong>Caroline Garcia<\/strong> <em>vs<\/em> <strong>Lucie Safarova<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"getty embed image\" style=\"background-color: #fff; display: inline-block; font-family: Roboto,sans-serif; color: #a7a7a7; font-size: 11px; width: 100%; max-width: 594px;\">\n<div style=\"padding: 0; margin: 0; text-align: left;\"><a style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/905381938\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"overflow: hidden; position: relative; height: 0; padding: 66.66667% 0 0 0; width: 100%;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"display: inline-block; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; margin: 0;\" src=\"\/\/embed.gettyimages.com\/embed\/905381938?et=n4gmEkEkTuB09hWPSxxmbA&amp;tld=com&amp;sig=nXiksrtdUNnNoflUPn4r0xDLis2eImx90i_fiSPkXxo=&amp;caption=true&amp;ver=1\" width=\"594\" height=\"396\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Both ladies can play a tremendous aggressive tennis. Moreover, Lucie Safarova gifted fans with the to-date match of the year in <strong>Sydney<\/strong>, when she surrendered in three sets to eventual champion Angelique Kerber. They both suffered an early exit in Doha. The Czech was ousted by super in-form Julia Goerges in the first round, whereas the French was outclassed by <strong>Dominika Cibulkova<\/strong>. Certainly, the crave for a revenge is lit inside the heart of both ladies. Grab your pop-corn, tennis fans!<\/p>\n<p>(WC) <strong>Naomi Osaka<\/strong> <em>vs<\/em> (8) <strong>Kristina Mladenovic<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"getty embed image\" style=\"background-color: #fff; display: inline-block; font-family: Roboto,sans-serif; color: #a7a7a7; font-size: 11px; width: 100%; max-width: 594px;\">\n<div style=\"padding: 0; margin: 0; text-align: left;\"><a style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/916909000\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"overflow: hidden; position: relative; height: 0; padding: 66.498314% 0 0 0; width: 100%;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"display: inline-block; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; margin: 0;\" src=\"\/\/embed.gettyimages.com\/embed\/916909000?et=ysWbsdjoTF55_spp9r5wuQ&amp;tld=com&amp;sig=tNbAZRfT6UpzaJrS7r5zTa3yRuo0LTrxea7ypZnwr4I=&amp;caption=true&amp;ver=1\" width=\"594\" height=\"395\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The Japanese young rising star was apparently forced to play qualies, given the tough cut at #39. However, the organizers decided to gift her a wildcard, and here she is, playing Mladenovic in R1. The French interrupted in <strong>S. Petersburg<\/strong> what seemed to be a never ending losing streak, and she eventually reached the final. I honestly see Osaka as a big favorite, but Mladenovic seems to be back to her winning spirit. This match will surely be a good proof, otherwise it&#8217;s going to be two straight losses for the French, and ghosts may haunt her again&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Daria Kasatkina<\/strong> <em>vs<\/em> <strong>Agnieszka Radwanska<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"getty embed image\" style=\"background-color: #fff; display: inline-block; font-family: Roboto,sans-serif; color: #a7a7a7; font-size: 11px; width: 100%; max-width: 594px;\">\n<div style=\"padding: 0; margin: 0; text-align: left;\"><a style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/913739222\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"overflow: hidden; position: relative; height: 0; padding: 66.66667% 0 0 0; width: 100%;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"display: inline-block; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; margin: 0;\" src=\"\/\/embed.gettyimages.com\/embed\/913739222?et=LR4uN1OkQVdyoZIioY4y5g&amp;tld=com&amp;sig=Czoy7WcTVA3iQta3hIk4I917Ods7_m6h_futQDt7ojs=&amp;caption=true&amp;ver=1\" width=\"594\" height=\"396\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Honestly, I was slightly uncertain whether to put this match-up among the \u201cpop-cornest\u201d five. The reason lays in the fact that, when they faced each other in <strong>Beijing<\/strong> last year, their match was, how can I say that, one of the most boring I have ever seen. However, I am still confident in the fact that both women are able to show high-class tennis, and they surely represent a pause from hard hitting matches. Drop shots, volleys, backspins\u2026 they can be boring, I know, but also incredibly entertaining. I expect the latter. I think you all should, as well.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Barbora Strycova<\/strong> <em>vs<\/em> (6) <strong>Angelique Kerber<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"getty embed image\" style=\"background-color: #fff; display: inline-block; font-family: Roboto,sans-serif; color: #a7a7a7; font-size: 11px; width: 100%; max-width: 594px;\">\n<div style=\"padding: 0; margin: 0; text-align: left;\"><a style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/909966462\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"overflow: hidden; position: relative; height: 0; padding: 66.66667% 0 0 0; width: 100%;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"display: inline-block; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; margin: 0;\" src=\"\/\/embed.gettyimages.com\/embed\/909966462?et=jlQgbPRtTc1eGMAQPyK0FQ&amp;tld=com&amp;sig=b0b_mCGQ3PNFnWuO9TLMYWmPzadthtHpDiv6qISt1i4=&amp;caption=true&amp;ver=1\" width=\"594\" height=\"396\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The former World #1 is one of the most in form players of this beginning of the season. She completed the <strong>Hopman Cup<\/strong> with a 4\/0 W-L ratio, she won the title in Sydney, and her two only losses came at the Australian Open and in Doha to the #1 and #2 of the world. On the other side of the net, the always fun to watch Czech, who usually wins matches against lower-ranked players, and tends to lose those again higher-ranked players. Regardless, her matches are thoroughly dramatic, and come on, let\u2019s be honest\u2026 we need drama as much as we need oxygen. Or maybe not.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Elena Vesnina<\/strong> <em>vs<\/em> <strong>Shuai Peng<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"getty embed image\" style=\"background-color: #fff; display: inline-block; font-family: Roboto,sans-serif; color: #a7a7a7; font-size: 11px; width: 100%; max-width: 594px;\">\n<div style=\"padding: 0; margin: 0; text-align: left;\"><a style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/868683970\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"overflow: hidden; position: relative; height: 0; padding: 43.939392% 0 0 0; width: 100%;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"display: inline-block; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; margin: 0;\" src=\"\/\/embed.gettyimages.com\/embed\/868683970?et=QaE65JWuQPlbR8CU_H_A8w&amp;tld=com&amp;sig=UIufGgUERQnKs2yWosAZ_lZSFeLKoDnVLVBE4eTM2PU=&amp;caption=true&amp;ver=1\" width=\"594\" height=\"261\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The choice of this last match-up is probably biased by my unconditioned love for Shuai Peng. Her two-handed forehands, her dropshots, the power she is able to find out of nowhere really light me up. On the other side on the net, Elena Vesnina. In a month, she will lose her 1000 points derived from her Indian Wells win last year. I think she need to start playing her best tennis\u2026 and I think she is perfectly aware of that.<\/p>\n<p>Tomorrow, we are going to find out the four qualified players who made it to the main draw. <strong>Samantha Stosur<\/strong>, <strong>Sara Errani<\/strong>, <strong>Arina Sabalenka<\/strong> are some of the players competing. We may have to add some other pop-corn first round matches&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tennis fans know it: you don\u2019t even have time to breath after Doha, because it\u2019s already time for Dubai! The two Arabic tournaments are indeed what keeps tennis people warm between the Australian Open and Indian Wells. Each year, they alternate their status of Premier and Premier 5. In 2018, Doha has been a Premier [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1665,"featured_media":6766,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,2],"tags":[2693,863,2723,2585,2725,2729,2727,2726,2724,2728,15],"class_list":["post-6763","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wta","category-featured","tag-doha","tag-dubai","tag-garcia","tag-kerber","tag-mladenovic","tag-osaka","tag-peng","tag-radwanska","tag-safarova","tag-vesnina","tag-wta"],"modified_by":"Steen Kirby","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6763","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1665"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6763"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6763\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6766"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6763"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6763"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6763"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}