Muguruza kicks off Dubai with trip up Burj Khalifa

Perhaps the toughest draw of the week in Dubai goes to No. 5-seeded Garbine Muguruza, who was out exploring the city before play began, visiting the Burj Khalifa. After seeing the world’s tallest building in person, she’ll have to stand almost as tall to make her way through a tricky section.

Muguruza could face No.10-seeded Caroline Wozniacki in the third round. Wozniacki has continued the upward trajectory that she started last summer, and is fresh from a Doha final finish.

If Muguruza should get through that section of the draw, her path will not get any easier, with the tricky Agnieszka Radwanksa (they have split their eight career meetings) and then Doha champion Karolina Pliskova waiting.

There have already been a couple of upsets in Dubai, with the 14th and 16th seeds — Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Roberta Vinci, respectively—bowing out in three sets.

Kristyna Pliskova, Karolina’s lefty twin sister, took out the Italian 2015 US Open finalist.

In Doha last week, one reporter asked Karolina Pliskova how she felt about having to face Vinci as an unseeded player in Dubai, not realizing that it was in fact her sister who had the task on her hands.

“It's happening almost every day, like hundred times,” Karolina Pliskova said. “I almost got used to this thing. But still it's surprise me.”

What won’t surprise is if she makes another deep run this week.

Pliskova continued her ascent to the top of women’s tennis when she followed up a strong Fed Cup performance against against Spain with her second title of 2017 in Doha last week. Despite being the second seed behind world No. 2-ranked Kerber, Pliskova will be the favorite to win back-to-back titles. It's also important to note that Kerber is 1-5 in career matches in Dubai.

“I felt little bit tired after Fed Cup,” Pliskova said in Doha over the weekend. “Definitely the conditions going to be different there. But I'll have a title now. Even if there I will not play good or anything, just next tournament.”