BRISBANE locals will be set for an absolute treat once again in 2020, with a stacked field of WTA stars heading to the Brisbane International. Six of the top 10 players will front up on the hard courts during the Australian summer, including the top three players on tour.

FAVOURITE:

There is not much more that needs to be said about Ash Barty that has not already been said. The dual-sport athlete returned to tennis and has risen up the ranks to claim the world number one ranking at the end of 2019. It was easy to see why, winning her first Grand Slam – at Roland Garros no less – as well as titles on hard court (Miami) and grass (Birmingham), as well as the ultimate crown in the WTA Finals. She came agonisingly close to winning on home soil the past two years at the Sydney International, and the Australian would love nothing more than to cap off a remarkable 12 months with a strong title win in Brisbane.

Barty deserves the favouritism tag for obvious reasons here in Brisbane, but in what will be a highly competitive field and a great warm-up for the Australian Open, there will be many players vying for the title that will worry the hard-hitting Aussie.

CONTENDERS:

Defending champion and world number two, Karolina Pliskova is the biggest threat to Barty’s homecoming title. The 27-year old knows how to win on the Australian hard courts, evidenced by her 2019 title in Brisbane. In their most recent clash at the WTA Finals, Pliskova won the first set against the world number one before going down in three sets. Pliskova will be gunning for her third Brisbane International title, having also won here back in 2017. The stage seems set for the 27-year-old Czech to face-off against the Australian, but again, this field is superb.

World number three, Naomi Osaka is also expected to return through Brisbane, having not played since her single match at the WTA Finals. She won in three tight sets against Petra Kvitova, before pulling out which allowed Belinda Bencic to fill in and book a semi-finals spot. Unlike Pliskova’s most recent match against Barty, Osaka actually triumphed against the world number one, albeit in the China Open. Now back on Barty’s home soil, Osaka will be refreshed and hoping to cause an upset if the pair do indeed meet at any stage. The Australian Open reigning champion has no fears Down Under.

Speaking of Kvitova, the dangerous left hander is one of those players you would always rather avoid because she is capable of anything. The most experienced player of the top 10 entries at Brisbane, the 29-year-old Czech might not have had the best season last year – winning just two tournaments – but she did triumph in Sydney with a win over Barty in the final. You also cannot discount the fact she is a Grand Slam winner, taking out Wimbledon twice in 2011 and 2014. She also made the Australian Open final last year before going down to Osaka, so how these four are seeded and placed in the draw will be fascinating.

DARK HORSE:

Former world number one and still top 20 player, Angelique Kerber is to be dismissed at your own peril. The left-handed German might be past her prime at 31-years-old and did not win a WTA Tour title in 2019, but she is a three-time Grand Slam winner, including 2016 Grand Slams in Australian and the United States to go with her 2018 title at Wimbledon. Kerber is the definition of a dark horse in the draw, with an underwhelming year in 2019, but still all the talent to really cause headaches for the top players.

ROUGHIE:

The fact that Venus Williams is still competing at such a high level is credit to her determination. At 39-years-old, it is fair to say Williams is never going to be that multiple Grand Slam winner she once was, with age and injury catching up with her, playing just 34 matches in 2018 – with a 19-15 win-loss record. Williams has not won a tournament since 2016, and has not won a Premier tournament since Dubai in 2014 – Wimbledon 2008 was her last Grand Slam – but in what will likely be her last hurrah this year, she will still take it to most players.