From correspondents in Middle East, 02:01 PM IST

Sania Mirza will open her campaign against Belarusian Olga Govortsova in the $2.5 million Qatar Total Open at the Khalifa Tennis Complex starting Monday.

The 48th ranked Belarusian will not be a tough nut to crack for Sania, who prevailed over her in their only encounter last year at Cincinnati.

If Sania, ranked 29, clears the first round hurdle, she will have a tough task at hand as she runs into Australian Open runner-up and world No.2 Ana Ivanovic, who is among the top eight players to have been given first round exemptions.

Some of top players in women's tennis including Australian Open champion Maria Sharapova of Russia, Venus Williams, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Jelena Jankovic and Nadia Petrova are participating in the event.

This will be Sania's first appearance since she battled a foot injury to save India from relegation in Fed Cup earlier this month.

Sania then dropped a bombshell by pulling out of WTA Bangalore Open to evade controversies that has hounded her since she burst onto the international scene.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)