There are so many moms in the draw that two of them will even play each other in the first round on Tuesday.

The former world No. 10 clinched the title after ailing Margarita Gasparyan retired with a back injury while trailing 6-3, 2-1 on Sunday..

Look for Kasatkina's heavy and explosive forehand to cause problems for Gasparyan and her one-handed backhand.

Along with Svetlana Kuznetsova and Vera Zvonareva, the two were part of the first-ever all-Russian semifinal line-up at a WTA event. Now one of them will become the first Russian champion in the tournament’s history.

Fan favorites Dustin Brown and Tsvetana Pironkova were victorious in their respective Australian Open qualifying matches; resurgent stars Bernard Tomic and Ana Konjuh also advanced.

Australian Open qualifying is underway in non-traditional fashion this year, with COVID-19 protocols allowing the men’s and women’s events to take place in Doha and Dubai, respectively. Relive some of the most memorable matches from the opening round.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion fought past Margarita Gasparyan in straight sets on Thursday night to set up a blockbuster all-American clash on Saturday.

In both of her title-winning runs, she was struggling before the event—similar to 2019.