I just saw at www.sarasotaopen.com that Pierce is expected to play there. It looks as though most of the top players are taking the week off after the Nasdaq-100--the top seeds will be Dokic, Shaughnessy, Schett & Raymond. I'm a little surprised the proximity of Sarasota to Miami didn't lure a few more players in for a headstart on the clay court season.

What's amazing is how many players are actually playing this new event. Keep in mind that it's a Tier IV tournament. The winner will get a mere $22,000 and 120 points (as opposed to over $90,000 and 195 points for the winner of the Tier II Amelia Island tourney). Most top players consider this a chance to take a week off after four weeks of play with two back-to-back Tier Ones.

That said, any Tier IV would die to have both Dokic and Shaughnessy, plus Pierce and Martinez, plus several more Top-20 and Top-30 players. Consider that Anna Smashnova - winner of two titles this year and solidly in the Top 50 in the world - has to qualify to make this 32-player draw. That's impressive.

It will be interesting to see how these women make the transition to clay. It's a very diverse draw, and some players who have had a tough year to date are licking their chops to prove themselves on the green stuff this week.

My early favorites include Sanchez-Vicario (who won at Porto this time last year), Dokic (depending on how she's feeling), and Shaughnessy, whose draw is set up relatively nicely. Clay courters with a good chance include Suarez, Martinez, and Zuluaga. Dark horses include Pierce, Myskina, and even Smashnova.

Should be fun to see what happens!