The Internazionali d'Italia presents the final chance for the WTA Tour's big names to tune up in competition for the French Open, which begins on May 24.

The WTA Premier event in Rome will feature 16 of the top 18 players on the tour, with Agnieszka Radwanska (right hand) and Andrea Petkovic (gastro) the only players absent from that bracket.

Petkovic was also forced to skip the Madrid Open due to her illness, putting her appearance at Roland Garros in some doubt.

Petra Kvitova has regained form, the left-handed Czech sealing the title in the Spanish capital in just her fourth WTA tournament since January's Australian Open.

Kvitova lost sets early in her campaign in Madrid, but won four consecutive straight-sets matches from the third round onwards - including downing Serena Williams and Svetlana Kuznetsova - to claim her 16th career title.

"I think I'm probably the kind of person who likes to play these kinds of big matches, to play the finals, the big tournaments, the grand slams, playing on the big stadiums," Kvitova said. 

"Finals are why we're all playing tennis. We want to win the big tournaments and see these beautiful trophies.

"So that's probably why it's more motivation for me when I'm playing finals."

One of the players to watch in Rome will be world number 11 Angelique Kerber, the German unbeaten on clay in 2015 - including titles in Stuttgart and Charleston, and even Fed Cup success.

Left-hander Kerber takes on Alize Cornet in the first round, while Karolina Pliskova - who reigned in Prague in May - faces Timea Bacsinszky in her opener in the Italian capital.

Elina Svitolina, winner of the title in Morocco in May, takes on one of the local hopes in Flavia Pennetta first up.

Top seed and defending champion Williams could face one-time French Open finalist Sam Stosur in the second round, while second seed Simona Halep will play one of Varvara Lepchenko or Alison Riske after a first-up bye.

Winner in Rome in 2011 and '12, Maria Sharapova also has a bye before a meeting with one of Jarmila Gajdosova or an undetermined qualifier in the second round.

Jelena Jankovic, the 16th seed and another two-time champion of the event, takes on Italian Camila Giorgi in the first round.