World number 5 Agnieszka Radwanska will return to Charleston in April to play in the Family Circle Cup. Radwanska will join previously announced players Sam Stosur, Vera Zvonareva, Venus Williams, and Serena Williams. Also competing this year are 2009 champion Sabine Lisicki, 2007 champion Jelena Jankovic, world number 7 Marion Bartoli, Julia Goerges, Lucie Safarova, Yanina Wickmayer, and Zheng Jie. Here is the complete 2012 draw.
Exhibition play participants include Billie Jean King, Virginia Wade, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Martina Hingis, Rennae Stubbs, and Tracy Austin. Jimmy Connors will also be on hand to play in the exhibition. The Family Circle Cup's 40th anniversary will include a tribute to the Original 9.
The qualifying draw has been expanded this year from a field of 32 players to a field of 48.
Six former champions will play in this year's tournament:
Venus Williams--2004
Nadia Petrova--2006
Jelena Jankovic--2007
Serena Williams--2008
Sabine Lisicki--2009
Sam Stosur--2010
Zvonareva was twice a finalist, in 2008 and 2010.
Caroline Wozniacki won the 2011 Family Circle Cup. The doubles title went to Sania Mirza and Elena Vesnina (Vesnina was also the singles runner-up).
Radwanska won the tournament in Dubai last week and is now enjoying her highest ranking ever. Last year, she won the title in Carlsbad, then went on to win back-to-back titles in Tokyo and Beijing. She was named the 2011 WTA Fan Favorite Singles Player.
The Family Circle Cup is the largest women's-only tennis tournament in the world.
2 comments:
Sad that Wozniacki won't be there...although I guess there's still time to sneak into the field. A lot of ranking points discarded if she doesn't defend.
I expected her to enter; I don't know what that's about. But you're right--she can always take a wild card.
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