Six Of The Top 20 Ranked Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Pros Coming To New Haven
NEW HAVEN, Conn., May 2, 2006 – The No. 1 ranked player on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, Amelie Mauresmo, and the defending Pilot Pen champion, Lindsay Davenport, lead a group of six top-ranked players that have committed early to Pilot Pen Tennis presented by Michelob ULTRA, a US Open Series event set for August 18-26 at the Connecticut Tennis Center at Yale, it was announced by tournament director Anne Worcester.
Mauresmo, who will be coming to New Haven for the seventh time, had her best performance at the Pilot Pen last year reaching the finals before falling to Davenport. Earlier this year she won her first major title, the Australian Open, and followed that win with two consecutive victories at Paris and Antwerp, Belgium. In March she captured the world No. 1 ranking from Kim Clijsters, returning to the top ranking for the first time since 2004.
Davenport, the defending Pilot Pen champion, won six titles in 2005 in addition to reaching the finals at the Australian Open and Wimbledon, all while retaining the world No. 1 ranking for most of the year. Injured since late March with a bulging disc in her back, she is on the verge of becoming the all-time winning money leader in Sony Ericsson WTA Tour history (career earnings of $21,549,902 trails Steffi Graf by $345,375). Davenport is eyeing a return to the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour prior to Wimbledon.
In addition to Mauresmo and Davenport, three top-ranked Russians, Elena Dementieva (No. 9), Anastasia Myskina (No. 12) and Elena Likhovtseva (No. 17), and a Slovak, Daniela Hantuchova (No. 16) have committed to the Pilot Pen making this year’s women’s field one of the strongest in the history of the tournament. Dementieva, a 2004 Pilot Pen semifinalist, won her fifth career title earlier this year at Tokyo. Myskina, a 2002 Pilot Pen semifinalist, is the 2004 French Open Champion. Likhovtseva, who reached the Round of 16 at the 2005 Pilot Pen and was the 2001 doubles champion (with Cara Black), had her best year on tour in 2005 reaching the semifinals of the French Open. Hantuchova, a 2002 Pilot Pen semifinalist and a fan favorite in New Haven, reached the finals at Los Angeles in 2005 and completed the career Grand Slam in mixed doubles.
“Having six of the top twenty women – including world No. 1 Amelie Mauresmo – enter the Pilot Pen early is a sure sign fans will enjoy great tennis this year,” said Worcester. “Plus, it is really exciting that both defending champions Lindsay Davenport and James Blake, who has risen to No. 7 in the world, will be back to defend their Pilot Pen titles.”
For a more information about the tournament, to request a ticket brochure or to become a volunteer, please call the Pilot Pen Tennis Box Office, 888/99-PILOT, 203/776-7331, or log on to www.pilotpentennis.com.