PATTAYA CITY, Thailand - After a few days off to recover from the first Grand Slam of the season, the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour kicks into gear again this week, with defending champion Vera Zvonareva heading the field at the $220,000 PTT Pattaya Open.
Zvonareva slipped out of the Top 10 last week after failing to repeat her run to the semis of the 2009 Australian Open. The good news for the Russian star is that although she squandered a winning lead against Victoria Azarenka in Melbourne, the ankle that caused her so much trouble last season appeared to be holding up.
Germany's Sabine Lisicki, knocking on the door of her Top 20 debut, is Pattaya's No.2 seed, with Vera Dushevina, who won her first Tour title at Istanbul last year, seeded third. Kazakhstan's Yaroslava Shvedova will hunt her first Tour title as the No.4 seed.
The second tier of seeds includes another former champion, Austrian lefty Sybille Bammer at No.5; last year's runner-up Sania Mirza at No.6; indefatigable Japanese veteran Kimiko Date Krumm at No.7; and Germany's Julia Goerges at No.8.
Wildcards have been awarded to Thai players Noppawan Lertcheewakarn, Suchanan Viratprasert and Varatchaya Wongteanchai.
As well as local heroine Tamarine Tanasugarn, who could challenge Lisicki in the second round, other Asia-Pacific hopes rest with Chinese Taipei's Chang Kai-Chen - famous for her upset of Dinara Safina at Tokyo last year - and her compatriot Chan Yung-Jan, as well as Japan's Ayumi Morita and New Zealander Marina Erakovic.
New Australian Anastasia Rodionova and her still-Russian sister Arina are the top seeds in the doubles competition, ahead of Jill Craybas - singles runner-up in 2008 - and Goerges.
The PTT Pattaya Open was first held in 1991. The honor roll includes names such as Patty Schnyder, Conchita Martinez and Agnieszka Radwanska.
