First day Report

By Barry Wood

Just a few weeks ago Vera Zvonareva was contesting the season-ending Sony Ericsson Championships in Doha. Now the Russian world number five is the top seed at the PTT Pattaya Open taking place at the Dusit Resort, Pattaya.

When the draw was made there were no great surprises, except that Nadia Petrova, the world number 10 who should have been the second seed, had withdrawn after suffering a suspected stress fracture in her foot. Although she attended the draw she now has to return home to Moscow for further examination and treatment.

Her absence, however, is more than compensated for by arguably the best field of players in the tournament's 18-year history. Danish teen sensation Caroline Wozniacki is ranked 13 in the world and seeded 2, and another teenager, Dominika Cibulkova is also ranked in the top 20 and seeded three. To prove what a strong challenger for the title she will be, just last month she won the Hopman Cup in Perth with Dominik Hrbaty, beating new world number two Dinara Safina in the final.

There are three Thai players in the draw, with sixth seeded Tamarine Tanasugarn taking on Uzbekistan's Akgul Amanmuradova in the first round, junior world number one Noppawan Lertcheewakarn facing a strong challenge against Israel's Shahar Peer, and wild card Nicha Lertpitaksinchai India's Sania Mirza, who recently won the Australian Open mixed doubles title.

Another player of note is 38-year old Kimiko Date-Krumm, who has returned to the Tour after a long absence and proved she can still challenge well at the highest level.

So, the seeds this week, and who they face in the first round:

1 - Vera Zvonareva v. Andreja Klepac
2 - Caroline Wozniacki v. Yung-Jan Chan
3 - Dominicka Cibulkova v. qualifier
4 - Sybille Bammer v. Urszula Radwanska
5 - Shuai Peng v. Mara Santangelo
6 - Tamarine Tanasugarn v. Akgul Amanmuradova
7 - Shahar Peer v. Noppawan Lertcheewakarn
8 - Magdalena Rybarikova v. Kimiko Date-Krumm