Tianjin Open shoots for the stars

Building on the success of last year's inaugural event, this autumn's Tianjin Open is set to make an even bigger impact, on and off court, organizers said.

Tianjin has bred a number of prospects, said Qing Shanglin, deputy director of the Tennis Management Center of General Administration of Sport of China, August 12. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

New highlights of WTA tournament – from Oct 12-18 this year– include double prize money, up from $250,000 to $500,000 and the introduction of Hawk-Eye technology.

"It demonstrates our commitment to enhance the tournament for players, media and fans. Everyone involved is looking forward to seeing the Tianjin Open grow into one of the best tournaments on the WTA circuit," said Christian Forsyth, senior manager of player relations at the Women's Tennis Association.

A dazzling lineup has been revealed, led by homegrown prodigy Zheng Saisai, Polish elite Agnieszka Radwanska, last year's runner-up Belinda Bencic of Switzerland, rising Czech Republic star Karolina Pliskova and Swiss legend Martina Hingis.

"I'm excited. Last time I played well here and I'm happy to represent China and Tianjin on my home court," said Zheng, a semifinalist last year.

Radwanska, a perennial Top 10 player who currently sits at No. 14, greeted Chinese fans via a video message and said the tournament is "getting stronger every year".

More than 10,000 people flocked to the Tianjin International Tennis Center in Jinghai county during the one-week event last year, according to Stephen Duckitt, the tournament director.

Everyone is looking forward to seeing the event grow, said Christian Forsyth, senior manager of player relations at the WTA, August 12. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

"The WTA and the players were very impressed with the facilities, the experience and the enthusiasm from the fans," he said.

Organizers have put more emphasis on promotion during the past eight months hoping to take its reputation to the next level and drawing a bigger crowd.

"Initiatives include an official Tianjin Open-Australian Open cooperation exchange, the visit of WTA chairman Stacey Allaster, a ball kid training program with students from Binghai Yaohua School and a summer camp to inspire future Tianjin kids to play tennis," Duckitt added.

Ticket are available online and offline from Saturday with packages and discounts on offer.

China's tennis authorities and local officials have shown strong support for the event.

"Tianjin is a port city with a profound tennis culture and has bred a number of prospects. It is meaningful to host a tennis tournament in Tianjin. It will also help Chinese players prepare for the 2016 Rio Summer Olympic Games," said Qing Shanglin, deputy director of the Tennis Management Center of General Administration of Sport of China.

"Through last year's WTA Tianjin Open, Jinghai has shown the world its premium accommodation. As the preparation work is well underway, we're confident to repeat the feast in October," said Zhang Jinli, deputy county mayor of Jinghai.