MATCH POINTS

Former World No.1 Angelique Kerber, who was the 2016 Brisbane runner-up to Victoria Azarenka, leads the head-to-head against wildcard Samantha Stosur 6-3, including a 4-6, 6-0, 6-4 victory in their only previous meeting on Australian soil - at the same venue as this tournament in the 2014 Fed Cup semifinals. The pair's first meeting was in the 2011 US Open semifinals, when Kerber's first run to the last four of a major was ended 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 by Stosur on her own way to her first Grand Slam title; since then, the Australian's only two further wins have come on clay, with the most recent in the first round of Madrid 2015. Since then, Kerber has won four in a row against Stosur, including their most recent clash 6-4, 6-4 in the second round of Eastbourne last year.

Barbora Strycova and Johanna Konta will square off in a rematch of last year's Wimbledon quarterfinal. Strycova is yet to drop a set to the Briton in two meetings, having won 7-5, 7-6(5) in the second round of Tokyo 2017 and 7-6(5), 6-1 at Wimbledon to seal her maiden Grand Slam semifinal place.

2018 Brisbane champion Elina Svitolina, who takes on Danielle Collins for the first time today, is one of three former winners in this year's draw along with 2017 and 2019 champion Karolina Pliskova and 2015 victor Maria Sharapova.

Karolina Muchova and Alison Riske, two of 2019's most improved players, split a pair of high-quality encounters as both put together breakout seasons last year. Riske took the first 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-2 in the first round of 's-Hertogenbosch, going on to claim her second career title; Muchova garnered her revenge in the round robin stages of the Zhuhai Elite Trophy, winning 2-6, 6-2, 7-5.

In Sofia Kenin's only previous encounter with Anastasija Sevastova, the American ended Sevastova's streak of three consecutive Mallorca finals in last year's semifinals 6-4, 4-6, 6-2, going on to lift her second career title.

In qualifying, wildcard Storm Sanders will bid to reach her first WTA main draw since Nanchang 2016 against Jennifer Brady. The Australian former World No.202 is playing the fourth tournament of a singles comeback that she began last October, and which has already garnered her the biggest singles trophy of her career at the Playford ITF W60. Brady won their only previous pro meeting in the 2015 El Paso ITF W25 quarterfinals 7-6(1), 6-4, but Sanders did score a win at junior level, defeating the American 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the first round of the Roehampton Grade 1 in 2012.

ORDER OF PLAY

STADIUM COURT (starts 10am)
Qualifying - [4] Jennifer BRADY (USA) vs [WC] Storm SANDERS (AUS)
Qualifying - [1] Yulia PUTINTSEVA (KAZ) vs Anastasia POTAPOVA (RUS)
Not before 2pm
[7] Johanna KONTA (GBR) vs Barbora STRYCOVA (CZE)
[WC] Samantha STOSUR (AUS) vs Angelique KERBER (GER)
[4] Elina SVITOLINA (UKR) vs Danielle COLLINS (USA)
Ashleigh BARTY (AUS) / Kiki BERTENS (NED) vs Anett KONTAVEIT (EST) / Anastasia PAVLYUCHENKOVA (RUS)

SHOW COURT 2 (starts 10am)
Qualifying - [3] Veronika KUDERMETOVA (RUS) vs [5] Marie BOUZKOVA (CZE)
Qualifying - Liudmila SAMSONOVA (RUS) vs Marta KOSTYUK (UKR)
Not before 2pm
Sofia KENIN (USA) vs Anastasija SEVASTOVA (LAT)
Alison RISKE (USA) vs Karolina MUCHOVA (CZE)
[WC] Ajla TOMLJANOVIC (AUS) vs [WC] Priscilla HON (AUS)

COURT 14 (starts 2pm)
Karolina PLISKOVA (CZE) / Donna VEKIC (CRO) vs [3] CHAN Hao-Ching (TPE) / Latisha CHAN (TPE)