Svetlana Kuznetsova

Svetlana Kuznetsova

Seed: 6
2008 record: 44-18, no titles
2008 Grand Slams: 3R, SF, 4R, 3R
Career Grand Slam titles: one
Previous appearance at year-end championships: 2007

Talk about an unpredictable campaign: Henin called it quits; Sharapova bulldozed her opponents at the Australian Open, then sat out most of the second half with a bum shoulder; Ivanovic rode an emotional roller coaster; and the Williams sisters each took part in the four majors for the first time since 2001.

Could Kuznetsova, armed with a new coach in fellow Russian Olga Morozova, add to the wackiness by winning in Doha and thus ending her slump in finals? The talented Kuznetsova is 0-10 in her past 10 finals since profiting in New Haven, Conn. -- a U.S. Open warm-up -- in 2007 when her Hungarian opponent, Agnes Szavay, stopped while leading 6-4, 0-3.

Adams' verdict: "At this point, it's some kind of a mental block for her. But we all know how dangerous Svetlana can be. She's won Grand Slams before, she's been to finals and she understands what it takes to compete at a high level for five or six consecutive days against the top players."