Seven Top 10 Players Have Already Signed Up

Stuttgart. The Porsche Tennis Grand Prix will again be one of the most attractive women’s tennis tournaments in 2010. Almost six months before play begins in the Porsche Arena, seven of the world ranking’s top 10 players have signed up with the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) for the long standing tournament in Stuttgart from 24 April to 2 May 2010. One of the seven is the US star Venus Williams.

Heading the entry list is Dinara Safina, the Russian world No. 2. Her countrywoman Svetlana Kuznetsova (No. 3), last year’s winner and the French Open champion – she beat Dinara Safina in both finals – will again be competing in the Porsche Arena for a total of 700,000 dollars prize money and a sports car. The Dane Caroline Wozniacki (No. 4), the year’s most improved player, will also be returning to Stuttgart, as will Venus Williams (USA/No. 6). The other top 10 players that have entered the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix 2010 are Victoria Azarenka from Belarus (No. 7), the Serb Jelena Jankovic (No. 8), who won the tournament in 2008 when she was the world No. 1, and the tenth ranked Pole Agnieszka Radwanska. Even tournaments with far more prize money at stake are not able to feature such a strong line-up.

“It’s already a fantastic field and the guarantee that we will again be offering our spectators world class tennis. That so many top stars have again decided to come to our tournament is a strong indication of the confidence they have in Porsche,” said a pleased Tournament Director, Markus Günthardt. As only the 10 highest ranked players have had to inform the WTA of the tournaments they intend playing in 2010, he is reckoning on other prominent players entering: “I’m sure some other big names will add themselves to the entry list.”

The players on the WTA Tour have voted the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix as their favourite premier tournament for the last two years in a row.

07/12/2009