Dubai: Sania Mirza will take on five-time Grand Slam champion Martina Hingis of Switzerland in the opening round of the WTA Dubai Duty Free Open which starts here on Monday.

The 19-year old Indian, ranked 38th in the world, could run into former French Open champion Anastasia Myskina in the next round if she manages to get past the Swiss star.

Hingis made a comeback to competitive tennis after being out for almost three years due to a foot injury.

The 25-year old has already risen to 48th in the WTA rankings.

She had won the inaugural edition of this tournament in 2001. Hingis reached the quarter finals of the Australian Open last month and followed it up by beating Russia’s Maria Sharapova in the semi-finals of the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo.

Sania made headlines in Dubai last year when she beat then US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia as a wild card.

The top four seeds at this year’s event ? Australian Open champion Amelie Mauresmo, defending champion Lindsay Davenport, Sharapova and Justine Henin-Hardenne ? received first round byes in the 32-player tournament.

The Tier II outdoor hardcourt event has a prize money of $1 million.