Doha 2020 draw: Six of Top 10 feature in Qatar

DOHA, Qatar - Six of the WTA's Top 10 will take to the courts in Doha for the Qatar Total Open next week in the first Premier 5 event on the 2020 calendar.

The top seed is World No.1 Ashleigh Barty, who returns to the tour for the first time since a semifinal defeat to Sofia Kenin

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Having pulled out of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis championships this week due to a foot injury, the Aussie gets a bye in the opening round and could face another player making a different sort of comeback in the second round. Barty with face either a qualifier, a lucky loser or Yaroslava Shvedova, with the latter playing her first singles event in over two years. 

After giving birth to twins in 2018, Shvedova played her first WTA-level event last week in Dubai in doubles with Darija Jurak, losing to Lyudmyla and Nadiia Kichenok in the first round, and was also named a playing captain for the Kazakh Fed Cup team earlier this month.

Also in the top quarter is another Kazakh, the red-hot No.14 seed Elena Rybakina

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Rybakina reached her fourth final in five tournaments played by a win over Petra Martic

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As Simona Halep pulled out on Saturday, each of the Top 9 seeds receive a first round bye, with Karolina Pliskova

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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

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2016 runner-up Jelena Ostapenko

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A pair of opening round matches in Doha are rematches from this week in Dubai, as No.10 seed Petra Martic

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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

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No.7 seed Bertens, returning after taking a week off following her win in at the St. Petersburg Ladies' Trophy, will face either Karolina Muchova

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Click here to see the full draw of the Qatar Total Open.