Guangzhou International Women's Open 2009

Venue: Guangzhou International Tennis Center, Guangzhou Development District
Time: Qualifying - Sep.12-14, 2009
         Main Draw - Sep.14-20, 2009

Tickets: ￥20 (Qualifying), ￥50 (main draw), ￥100 (semifinal, final)
How to go: free outward buses between the north exit of Tianhe Sports Center (天河体育中心北门) and Guangzhou International Tennis Center (广州国际网球中心) in every 45 minutes one hour before each match, and free backward buses between Guangzhou International Tennis Center  and Daguan Lu Bus Stop (大观路公交车站)

General Schedule

Date	Day	Time	Activity	Place
Sep. 11	Friday	13:00- 16:00	Singles Qualifying Sign-in	On-Site WTA Office
Sep.12	Saturday	10:00	Opening Ceremony	Center Court
		10:15	Singles Qualifying	Center Court, Court 1, 2, 3
Sep.13	Sunday	10:00	Singles Qualifying	Center Court, Court 1, 2, 3
		12:00	Doubles Sign-in	On-Site WTA Office
		15:00	Draw Ceremony & Press Conference	On-site Press Room
Sep.14	Monday	10:00	Singles Qualifying	Center Court, Court 1, 2, 3
			Main Draw（Singles, Doubles）	Center Court, Court 1, 2, 3
		19:30	Welcome Reception	Chateau Star River Hotel
Sep.15	Tuesday	14:00	Main Draw（Singles, Doubles）	Center Court, Court 1, 2, 3
Sep.16	Wednesday	14:00	Main Draw（Singles, Doubles）	Center Court, Court 1, 2, 3
Sep.17	Thursday	14:00	Main Draw（Singles, Doubles）	Center Court, Court 1, 2, 3
Sep.18	Friday	14:00	Quarterfinals（Singles, Doubles）	Center Court, Court 1, 2, 3
Sep.19	Saturday	14:00	Semifinals（Singles, Doubles）	Center Court
Sep.20	Sunday	14:00	Doubles Final	Center Court
			Doubles Trophy Presentation	Center Court
			Singles Final	Center Court
			Singles Trophy Presentation	Center Court

Draw Size: 32M/32Q/16D, 4 Singles Qualifiers
Competition Rules: ITF Tennis Rules and 2009 WTA Official Rulebook shall be applied.

After a month-long break the Road to Bali is set to roll again, with the China-GDD Guangzhou International Women's Open one of two International level events on the ticket this week. The 0,000 tournament also kickstarts the most cohesive, high-stakes Asian swing in the history of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, taking in Seoul, Tashkent and Tokyo before culminating in the ,500,000 China Open in Beijing next month.

The top seed in southern China's biggest metropolis is Anabel Medina Garrigues. The Spaniard has enjoyed her best season to date, winning her ninth singles title on clay at Fès in April, and successfully defending the French Open doubles title she won with Virginia Ruano Pascual in 2008. Injuries have contributed to some disappointing results over the summer, but the 27-year-old was runner-up here to Anna Chakvetadze in 2006, and assuming she is fit will be a real contender this year. First, though, she'll have to get past Japanese veteran Kimiko Date Krumm.

Zheng Jie is the No.2 seed, and looking to improve on two semifinal showings in three previous visits, including last year when she fell to eventual champion Vera Zvonareva. Hovering just outside the Top 20, the Chinese star is coming off solid results in North America, including a quarterfinal run at Los Angeles and a third round finish at the US Open. It's been more than three years since she last one a title and will be hoping to use the conditions this week to her advantage.

Last year's runner-up, Peng Shuai, is the No.3 seed; the world No.44 (and Chinese No.3 after Li Na and Zheng) opens her campaign against American Angela Haynes. There will be much interest too in the fortunes of popular Slovenian Katarina Srebotnik, who is making a late start to her season after being kept out of action until the US Open by injuries.

Rounding out the seedings are Shahar Peer of Israel at No.5; Belarusian Olga Govortsova at No.6; Japanese teenager Ayumi Morita at No.7; and Italian veteran Alberta Brianti at No.8.

A wildcard has been awarded to two-time Grand Slam doubles champion Yan Zi, who was the singles champion at Guangzhou in 2005. The other wildcards have gone to 20-year-old Lu Jingjing and 19-year-old Han Xinyun. The field also features Chinese Taipei's best, namely Chan Yung-Jan, who opens against Mathilde Johansson of France, and Hsieh Su-Wei, who plays Yan in the first round.

Medina Garrigues and Arantxa Parra Santonja are the top seeds in the doubles, with Chan and Srebotnik seeded No.2. Peng and Xu Yi-Fan are the No.3 seeds, with Akgul Amanmuradova and Morita seeded fourth.

Source: Lifeofguangzhou.com/21cn

Editor: Jessie Hwang