2011年1月5日星期三

Hong Kong’s Tennis Classic Draws Stars

The Tennis Classic World Team Challenge starts Wednesday in Hong Kong, and three of the top five women’s tennis players are in the city to play, along with several of the sport’s former world No. 1s.

The tournament field is divided into four geographic teams, representing Europe, Russia, the Americas and Asia Pacific, each made up of one male player and two female players. World No. 1 Caroline Wozniaki of Denmark, as captain of Team Europe, will meet a formidable opponent in Li Na of China, currently world No. 11, in the first round. This will be their fourth meeting, according to the Women’s Tennis Association, and Ms. Li has won two of the previous three.

World No. 5 Venus Williams’s first-round opponent will be Russian team captain Vera Zvonareva. (Last year Team Russia, captained by Maria Sherapova, took the title.) Ms. Zvonareva had a big year in 2010, reaching two Grand Slam finals, at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, and is now ranked No. 2 — but her record against Ms. Williams is an underwhelming 1-7.

The local representative is Zhang Ling, Hong Kong’s No. 1 player (ranked 229th in the world), who will be playing for Team Asia Pacific on her home court at Victoria Park Tennis Stadium in Causeway Bay. She was a reserve player last year and didn’t get to play. In 2010, she competed in the U.S. Open qualifier, but didn’t reach the tournament.

“I’m thrilled to be taking part in the Hong Kong Tennis Classic,” she said in a statement on the event website. “It’s going to be exciting for me to play against Aravane Rezai. I really hope the Hong Kong fans will come out and support me.” Ms. Rezai is No. 19 in the world, so Ms. Ling may be looking for support.
On the men’s side, former world-rankings leaders and legends Stefan Edberg, Yevgeny Kafelnikov and John McEnroe are in Hong Kong for the classic, along with Mark Philippoussis of Australia, who has ranked as high as eighth in the world. In 2003 he and his monster serve reached the Wimbledon finals, where they lost to Roger Federer — Mr. Federer’s first Grand Slam title.
The crowd-pleasing Mr. McEnroe won seven major singles titles in his professional career (plus 10 more in doubles and mixed doubles). In 1983, Mr. Edberg of Sweden won all four of the major junior tournaments, so becoming the first player to win a “junior Grand Slam.” As a professional player, he won six major singles crowns.

In the tournament, the outcome of which does not affect tour rankings, players from the four teams will compete in singles and doubles matches. It ends Saturday.
In an attempt to lure fans with the possibility of meeting celebrities, the organizers are offering “tea with the stars” in Victoria Park. For 250 Hong Kong dollars (US$32), fans can have afternoon tea on Friday in the tented village by the tennis stadium and enter a contest to win autographed gear. For HK$700, they can get the full package: the tea and a ticket to the matches. More information is available on the website.

Tickets, on sale through Urbtix, range from HK$360 to HK$880. Limited student tickets and thru tickets for the whole tournament are also available. Check out the schedule and get tournament updates at the tournament’s website.

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