The Hindu : Sport : Venus Williams for Bangalore Open

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Venus Williams for Bangalore Open

Special Correspondent

Sania decides not to play in the event

— FILE PHOTO: AP

Venus Williams.

BANGALORE: The reigning Wimbledon women’s champion and World No. 6 Venus Williams became the second top-10 player after her younger sister Serena to confirm participation for the $600,000 Bangalore Open championship which gets underway at the KSLTA Stadium courts here on March 3. However, Indian ace Sania Mirza has decided not to play in the event.

Announcing Venus’ participation, C.S. Sunder Raju, the KSLTA Honorary Secretary and the Tournament Director, said: “The presence of the Williams sisters — Serena and Venus — both top-10 players, takes the Bangalore Open to a new plane and it also has two top-20 players now, Patty Schnyder and Sybille Bammer”.

Sunder said that barring Grand Slams, the Williams sisters seldom make an appearance together in any WTA Tour event.

Venus, in a press statement expressed her delight to play in Bangalore. “I am extremely excited about my first visit to India which has always fascinated me.

“I am looking forward to experience the Indian culture I have read about over the years. I congratulate KSLTA for upgrading the event to Tier II and creating an opportunity for me to play in Bangalore.”

Sunder also said that the new Tour experimentation rule of allowing on court coaching for the players during the mandatory break, would be in place at Bangalore Open. “In a way it adds to the quality of the event,” he said.

Sony Ericsson WTA Tour also released the main draw list of players and the names of Venus and Bammer tops the second list and they would come in place of withdrawals or as special exempts and wildcards.

The organisers will announce the wildcards as they get closer to the event.

The direct entries (with ranking in bracket): Serena Williams (U.S., 7), Patty Schnyder (Sui, 15), Vera Zvonareva (Rus, 22), Maria Kirlenko (Rus, 26), Shuai Peng (Chn, 45), Mellen Tu (U.S., 46), Dominika Cibulkova (Svk, 48), Akiko Morigami (Jpn, 49), Meghann Shauhnessy (U.S., 53), Zi Yan (Chn, 61), Yung-jan Chan (Tpe, 68), Aiko Nakamura (Jpn, 73), Roberta Vinci (Ita, 74), Alla Kudryavtseva (Rus, 75), Casey Dellacqua (Aus, 78), Anastasia Rodionova (Rus, 79), Tzipora Obziler (Isr, 81), Anne Kremer (Lux, 84), Yaroslava Shvedova (Rus, 85), Olga Savchuk (Ukr, 86) and Angelique Kerber (Ger, 89).

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