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Serena Williams is the diamond in a $250 million collection of tennis talent being assembled for the Sydney International in January.
In another major coup for the Australian Open warm-up event, organisers today added the nine-times grand slam winner to a star-studded women’s draw now featuring the world’s top three players plus the Olympic singles champion.
Williams, the world No.3 and newly-crowned US Open champion, joins world No.1 Jelena Jankovic, the second-ranked Dinara Safina and Beijing gold medallist Elena Dementieva in the 28-strong draw.
Headlining the men’s event will be Australia’s four-times champion Lleyton Hewitt, his long-time Argentine rival David Nalbandian for the first time and exciting Frenchmen Richard Gasquet and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the 2008 Australian Open runner-up.
The eight drawcards alone boast more than $100 million in prize money, giving tournament director Craig Watson one of the richest talent pools to descend on Sydney in Australian tennis history.
“We’re very excited about the field,” Watson said at today’s launch for the January 11-17 event.
“Having Serena Williams back for the first time in a few years is just an absolute boon for the event.
“Having Jo-Wilfried Tsonga back – he set the world alight last year, he’s back in form, he’s fit and he’s ready to go – that’s really exciting as well.”
In Tsonga, Williams, US Open runner-up Jankovic and French Open runner-up Safina, the tournament will include four of this season’s nine grand slam finalists.
And Watson hasn’t given up on luring more, although Roger Federer has already committed to the Kooyong Classic in Melbourne as his Australian Open tune-up event.
“I’m keeping a few wildcards available as long as I can,” said Watson, who expects at least “15, 16 of the top-20 women” to sign up before entries close.
Hewitt will be gunning for a record fifth Sydney title when he makes his eagerly-awaited comeback from hip surgery at Homebush Bay.
“All reports that I have had is that his recovery is on track,” Watson said.
“He’s looking forward to Sydney in January – and he’s stated that publicly – so all good there.”
And for the first time, the Hawk-eye line-calling system will be used at the tournament.
“When people see that happen on the big screen in Sydney, they’ll really get into that,” Watson said.
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