TOP NAMES HEAD FOR DUBAI

A host of top players have added their names to the entry list for the forthcoming Barclays Dubai Championships.

In the men's event, which takes place from March 3-8, top-10 stars Nikolay Davydenko, Richard Gasquet and Mikhail Youzhny have all announced they will compete.

And for the women's tournament, which takes place the previous week, world number two Svetlana Kuznetsova, 2002 champion Amelie Mauresmo and Wimbledon finalist Marion Bartoli will all play.

Last year Youzhny pulled off one of the biggest upsets in the history of the tournament when he overcame defending champion and world number two Rafael Nadal in straight sets on his way to a final showdown with Roger Federer.

Now he has the pressure of trying to live up to his reputation as a giant killer when play returns next month.

"It's tough to beat Roger," said Youzhny. "The only chance to beat him is to serve unbelievably good. When you play against Roger we understand you can be up 5-0 and the set is not finished."

Mauresmo has yet to return to her best form, which saw her capture two Grand Slam titles in 2006, following a 2007 season ruined by emergency appendix surgery.

The Frenchwoman did reach the final in Dubai last season only to lose to Justine Henin.

"This year can only be better," she said. "I don't have that many points to defend (on tour), and especially physically I really want to feel better, because I've been struggling."

The Dubai tournaments promise to be two of the strongest fields assembled on the ATP and WTA tours outside of the Grand Slams.

The world's top three Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, plus Andy Roddick and Briton Andy Murray, are all in the men's field, while four-time champion Henin, Maria Sharapova, Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic are due to play in the women's.