Monterrey Open 2020: Women's singles draw analysis, preview and prediction

Despite the absence of the defending champion Garbine Muguruza, who would be looking to recover from a busy schedule, the 2020 Monterrey Open has a jam-packed field of top WTA stars.

Headlining the lineup are the top Elina Svitolina, seven time major winner Venus Williams, and other Grand Slam champions including Sloane Stephens and Kim Clijsters. Add a few other top-25 players and you have a very competitive draw to look forward to.

With main draw action set to begin on Monday, here is a look at the prospects of some of the top names in the draw.

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Top Half

Magda Linette has played some great tennis in the first two months of the new season.

Expected semi-final: Elina Svitolina vs Magda Linette

Analysis: Struggling top seeds in form of Elina Svitolina and Sloane Stephens spell a lot of opportunity for the other women in this section. A seasoned campaigner in Lauren Davis and young star Leylah Fernandez have a great shot at a breakthrough performance here.

The other high seed in the top half, Magda Linette, however, has looked impressive in the past few weeks. With a title already under her belt in 2020, she will gunning for big results yet again. A relatively simpler draw might as well see big do just that.

Prediction: Leylah Fernandez vs Magda Linette

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Bottom Half

Kim Clijsters continues her return to sport in Monterrey.

Expected semi-final: Wang Yafan vs Johanna Konta

Analysis: Now this part of the draw is definitely more crowded with big names who will take on each other early in the week. Venus Williams could very well be playing the rising star Marie Bouzkova in the second round and the talented Wang Yafan in the quarter-final. The seven time major winner has struggled with form off late a good result here will do her confidence some good.

And right at the bottom of the draw, it will be a returning Kim Clijsters taking on the second seed Johanna Konta, with a prospect of playing Acapulco champion Heather Watson later. The Belgian has been a little unlucky with the draws on her return, but Konta has been out for a while too and so there is bound to be a little rust on either side in this enticing first round matchup.

Seventh seed Victoria Azarenka has probably the toughest path of all the seeds. Tamara Zidadensk, Anastasia Potapova, and the winner of the Konta-Clijsters-Watson section make for a very difficult draw leading into the business end of the tournament.

Pediction: Venus Williams vs Victoria Azarenka or Anastasia Potapova