IN THE first of two WTA Tour tournament previews this week, we take a look at the smaller WTA 250 event in Singapore, where a number of talented players look to gain a rankings boost in an even field. The 32-player draw which sees the winner collect a crucial 280 WTA Tour points, has plenty of potential candidates.

Perhaps the best player in the draw has the biggest question mark hanging over her head, with Russian Anna Kalinskaya pulling out of the Australian Open – which handed German young gun Eva Lys her chance before a memorable run to the fourth round as lucky loser – which came following her withdrawal during a loss to Belinda Bencic in Adelaide.

Kalinskaya comes in as top seed, but is yet to win a match in 2025, also suffering defeat in the first round of the Brisbane International to American Ashlyn Krueger. The current world number 16 is top seed at the 250 event, with Belgian Elise Mertens – ranked 34th in the world – reaching a final in Hobart before a second round appearance in Melbourne was halted by American Jessica Pegula.

What stands out about the Singapore draw is the amount of other potential chances, headlined by third seed Amanda Anisimova and seventh seed Emma Raducanu. Both players are more than capable on their day, with young Colombian Maria Camila Osorio Serrano and recent Russian surprise packet Polina Kudermetova – who took a set off Aryna Sabalenka in the Brisbane final – also seeded at the event.

Kudermetova will face top ranked Aussie Kimberly Birrell, with the green and gold having no shortage of hopes in the draw. Teenager Maya Joint made it through qualifying as top seed, while Ajla Tomljanovic, Olivia Gadecki and Daria Saville have all at one stage been Australia’s top ranked player.

Consistency is an issue for American Alycia Parks, but the powerful talent has no ceiling with what she can do, if she can keep her serve in check and her unforced errors count low. She is the pick of the unseeded players, and has a very favourable draw to make a semi-final given she features in the weakest of the four quarters.

PREDICTION

If Kalinskaya is fit, it is hard to look past her, though with Kudermetova’s form, and the likes of Anisimova and Raducanu all in the top half, it makes life tricky for the top seed. Mertens is consistent as they come, but it seems now or never for Raducanu who is the tip for the event if she stays fit and focused based on what she produced prior to running into Iga Swiatek in Melbourne.