Belgium's Justine Henin, fresh from her victory in Dubai on Saturday, bids for a Gulf double when she starts as overwhelming favourite in the WTA Tour's $1.3 million Qatar Open beginning on Monday.
Henin, who won the Dubai title in 2003, 2005 and 2006, maintained her 100 per cent record in the tournament when she beat France's Amelie Mauresmo in the final on Saturday.
More than the joy of winning her 30th career title, the Dubai triumph was a testimony to the resilience of the Belgian world number two, who split with her husband late last year and made a delayed start to 2007 at the Paris Open, where she lost in the semi-finals.
"I was happy the way I played in Dubai and I hope I can maintain that form," Henin told reporters. "It's just amazing. I am so delighted."
"I think I played quite well throughout the last week. It [the Dubai final] was a very good match on Saturday, against a very good player ... To win against someone like Amelie, and to win a title in only my second tournament back, it is just great," she added.
However, Henin's record in Doha is not as good as in Dubai where she has a 16-0 winning streak. The Belgian's only previous appearance at the Qatar Open came in 2004 when she lost in the semi-finals to Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova.
The Russian world No. 5 is seeded second behind Henin, and their rivalry is likely to continue in Doha after a three-set semi-final in Dubai.
Martina Hingis, world No. 6, is seeded third and world No. 11 Jelena Jankovic of Serbia, who has been given a wild card entry, is seeded fourth.
Switzerland's Patty Schnyder, Slovakia's Daniela Hantuchova, Germany's Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Italy's Francesca Schiavone are seeded fifth to eighth.
Henin, who gets a bye into the second round, will meet either Japan's Ai Sugiyama or Australia's Alicia Molik, the 2005 runner-up, in the second round.
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