Williams top seed at Dubai Women's Open

<br>DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) _ Top seed Venus Williams of the United States has received a first-round bye in the dlrs 585,000 Dubai Duty Free Women's Open, which starts here Monday. <br><br>The

Sunday, February 17th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) _ Top seed Venus Williams of the United States has received a first-round bye in the dlrs 585,000 Dubai Duty Free Women's Open, which starts here Monday.

The powerful world No. 2, who is currently playing in the Antwerp Open in Belgium, is due to arrive Monday.

Williams, the current Wimbledon champion, will take on the winner of the first round match between Anna Kournikova of Russia and Selima Sfar of Tunisia.

Second seed Monica Seles of the United States and the sixth-seeded Tamarine Tanasugarn of Thailand are meeting in the final of the Qatar Open in Doha and are also due to arrive here Monday.

The third seed is Frenchwoman Amelie Mauresmo, who also received a bye to the second round along with countrywoman Sandrine Testud.

The order of play will only be decided late Sunday night after the end of the qualifying competition, the organizers said.

One of the main matches Monday will be the Kournikova-Sfar clash. Both players have received wild card entries and have their respective fan clubs at the Aviation Club Stadium.

The winner will take home dlrs 93,000 and the runner-up dlrs 49,000.

The winner of the inaugural Dubai Duty Free Open in 2001, Martina Hingis of Switzerland, is not competing this year, but organizers said they were confident of bigger crowds owing to the presence of Williams, Seles and Kournikova.