This week, the world’s top women tennis players compete at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship. The urban oasis of the United Arab Emirates growing city has become a venue for one of the most prestigious tournaments on the WTA tour, besides Grand Slam and Masters Events. The $360,000 prize money is one of the largest sums offered on regular WTA events. The winner odds for this tournament have been published in various sportsbook betting sites.

Eight of the world’s top tennis ladies came to compete for the title in Dubai. Last year’s champion Venus Williams could not defend her title this year. Australian Open champion and current world number 1 Kim Clijsters will also be absent from the event. Nevertheless, there is plenty of excitement in Dubai coming from the game’s other stars.

The top seeds received byes in their first round matches and enjoyed some time off the court exploring Dubai. There weren’t any surprising victories in the first round of action featuring the lower ranked players. 14th seeded Ana Ivanovic lost her first match to the lefty veteran Patty Schnyder, but Ivanovic has a history of inconsistent results. Wildcard Sania Mirza of India, who is also a fan favorite in Dubai, won her first match 6-3 6-1.

The competition heated up in the second round as the top seeds got to show off their form. First seed Caroline Wozniacki won her match, as Anna Chakvetadze retired in the second set. 7th seed Victoria Azarenka was challenged by Chinese qualifier Peng, but Vika prevailed in a tough third set tiebreak. Second seed Vera Zvonareva comfortably won 6-3 6-1. After two and a half hours on court, Australian Open runner up Li Na lost to Yanina Wickmayer in three sets, which is the upset of the tournament so far.

Australian Open · Kim Clijsters · Sania Mirza · sportsbook betting

An older and happier Kim Clijsters is in sparkling form and she hopes to continue the same when she heads into Australian Open as one of the hot favorites for the women’s crown.

Clijsters had a stunning return to tennis in 2009 after the birth of daughter Jada. In her fourth tournament back, she won the US Open, suffered a setback in Melbourne last year when she crashed out in the third round. In 2010, the 27-year-old Belgian was also one of the favorites, but she suffered a humiliating 6-0, 6-1 loss to Nadia Petrova, bewildering herself and her fans, after cruising through the first two rounds.

Clijsters, who went on to win five tournaments in 2010, including her third US Open. The wins made the Australian Open disaster only a temporary setback for the popular Clijsters. She is now ready to make amends for last year.

To move into the final of the Medibank International, Kim Clijsters dodged an upset bullet as the Belgian finally held off Russia Alisa Kleybanova 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-1). The three-time US Open winner will face off against China’s eighth seed Li Na. Since winning in Birmingham on grass the week before Wimbledon, Li Na will play in her first final.

Li said that she is ready for the challenge against Clijsters and she has nothing to lose because she has played with her so many times. She said that all she has to do is to show the best tennis on the court.

Previously, the pair has met five times. On four occasions Clijsters has won, out of which two were at this tournament, in 2006, and then in the 2007 semi-final. Li can continue her affinity with Australia, if she can get over Clijsters. It would be Li’s biggest career win. Last year in Melbourne at the Open, she had reached the semi-finals and in 2008 won on the Gold Coast.

Australian Open · Kim Clijsters · Nadia Petrova · Tennis · US Open