Vote: Who will win 2021 Gippsland Trophy?

The Gippsland Trophy is one of three WTA 500 events in the first week of February, with seven top-20 players battling for the trophy and 470 WTA points.

Simona Halep, Naomi Osaka, Elina Svitolina, Aryna Sabalenka, Johanna Konta, Iga Swiatek and Elise Mertens are among the top favorites for the title. However, it should be interesting how things would develop after a two-week quarantine and a different approach from the pre-coronavirus events.

Simona Halep and Naomi Osaka had a chance to play at A Day at the Drive exhibition in Adelaide on Friday, shaping their game a bit after two weeks on the practice court and looking good ahead of the Melbourne trip.

The top-10 seeds are free in the opening round (there are 54 players in the draw), and we should see who will reach the semis. Halep, Alexandrova, Swiatek, Sabalenka, Wang and Muchova are in the top half, with thrilling encounters right from the start. Halep wants to confirm her status of world no. 2 and one of the Australian Open favorites, although she has to beat some tough opponents to pass four rounds and book the title clash.

Elise Mertens, Elina Svitolina, Johanna Konta and Naomi Osaka are the players to beat in the bottom quarter, looking like the favorites over the rest of the group if they bring their best tennis. At the moment, it's impossible to predict who will play on a high level and who will fail, with many dangerous players waiting to beat the favorites and enter the title chase.