Only 2 weeks until play begins on the Gold Coast

The Mondial Australian Women's Hardcourts tournament begins on December 31, and marks the return of three important tour players who struggled this year with illness and/or injury. Amelie Mauresmo will make her Gold Coast debut, and Sam Stosur will presumably play both singles and doubles. Mondial will also mark the return of Li Na, who has been in Germany, recovering from a rib injury.

Also on hand for the season's first tournament will be Nicole Vaidisova, Nadia Petrova, Patty Schnyder, Agnes Szavay, Shahar Peer, Sybille Bammer, and defending champion Dinara Safina.

Safina won both the singles and doubles title last year. She defeated Martina Hingis for the singles trophy, and she and her partner, Katarina Srebotnik, won over Iveta Benesova and Galina Voskoboeva.

This is the last year that the tournament will be held on the Gold Coast. Starting in 2009, the Mondial Australian Women's Hardcourts and the Adelaide International, an ATP tournament, will be combined to create a new tournament in Brisbane.