NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Defending champion and world No. 8 Petra Kvitova and world No. 14 Marion Bartoli have committed to playing the 2013 New Haven Open at Yale presented by First Niagara, a WTA event that is part of the Emirates Airline US Open Series, to be held August 16-24, 2013, at the Connecticut Tennis Center, Tournament Director Anne Worcester announced today. Kvitova and Bartoli join world No. 6 Angelique Kerber and world No. 7 Sara Errani as players who have committed to playing in the 2013 New Haven Open.
 
Kvitova stormed to the 2012 New Haven Open title without dropping a set, dispatching four top-20 players en route. Her win in New Haven also sealed her place as champion of the 2012 Emirates Airline US Open Series, which reflects the results of nine summer tournaments leading up to the US Open. Along with her teammates from the Czech Republic, she closed out 2012 by successfully defending the Fed Cup title in November. Kvitova has amassed a 14-2 record in the team competition in the last three years. Prior to her success in 2012, she won Wimbledon and the year-end WTA Championships in 2011, earning her "Player of the Year" accolades and catapulting her to a career-high ranking of No. 2 in the world. In February of this year, Kvitova won her 10th WTA title, defeating Errani in the final of the Premier tournament in Dubai.
 
Bartoli will be making her 10th appearance at the New Haven Open, where she has reached the quarterfinals six times. The Frenchwoman has seven career WTA singles titles and has reached the quarterfinals or better at each of the four Grand Slam tournaments, including last year at the US Open. She reached the semifinals in Beijing last fall, and this year she has reached the quarterfinals of Shenzhen, Paris and Dubai.
 
"Welcoming back defending champion Petra Kvitova and six-time quarterfinalist Marion Bartoli gives the New Haven Open three of the top eight and four of the top 15 players in the world earlier than ever before," said Worcester. "This speaks to the depth and competitiveness of the player field and, combined with all the fan-friendly enhancements being introduced this year, shows just how focused we are on delivering incredible fan entertainment both on and off the court."
 
This year, fans will be closer to the action than ever before, as the New Haven Open consolidates all seating into the Box Ring of the Connecticut Tennis Center at Yale. This enhanced proximity to the players and on-court action as well as increased in-stadium entertainment is available starting at just $24. Tickets for the 2013 tournament are on sale now, so fans will want to buy early to secure their seats in this new, enhanced format.
 
For more information and to secure tickets to the 2013 tournament, log on to www.newhavenopen.com or call the New Haven Open Box Office at 855-464-8366. Also, make sure to join the New Haven Open on Facebook and Twitter for tournament updates, contests and more.
 
About New Haven Open at Yale presented by First Niagara
New Haven Open at Yale presented by First Niagara has always been much more than a tennis tournament; it is a leading example of leveraging a large-scale international sporting event to generate $26 million in regional economic impact and to build community pride, spirit and engagement, especially among youth. The 2012 tournament featured four of the top-10 players, including Agnieska Radwanska, Caroline Wozniacki, Sara Errani and 2012 Champion Petra Kvitova. The women’s-only WTA event is part of the Emirates Airline US Open Series and will be held August 16-24, 2013, at the Connecticut Tennis Center at Yale. The New Haven Open is prominently featured domestically on ESPN2 and also broadcast around the world. For more information about the tournament and tickets, visit www.newhavenopen.com or call 1-855-464-8366.
 
About First Niagara
First Niagara, through its wholly owned subsidiary, First Niagara Bank, N.A., is a multi-state, community-oriented bank with approximately 430 branches, approximately $37 billion in assets, $28 billion in deposits, and approximately 6,000 employees providing financial services to individuals, families and businesses across Upstate New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Massachusetts. For more information, visit www.firstniagara.com.
 
About Emirates Airline US Open Series
Now in its 10th season, the Emirates Airline US Open Series continues to serve as a true regular season of hard-court tennis, linking nine summer tournaments to the US Open. Novak Djokovic and Petra Kvitova won the 2012 Emirates Airline US Open Series men’s and women’s titles. In 2007, Roger Federer collected the biggest paycheck in tennis history – $2.4 million – for winning the US Open and the Emirates Airline US Open Series titles. In 2005, Kim Clijsters also captured both the US Open and the Series, winning $2.2 million – the largest purse in women’s sports history – and equaled that amount in 2010, winning the US Open and finishing the Emirates Airline US Open Series in second place.