Defending Champion Nadal Heads Stellar China Open Line-up

World No.2 Rafael Nadal will return to Beijing in September to defend his China Open title.

BEIJING (PRWEB) April 30, 2006 -- World No.2 Rafael Nadal will return to Beijing in September to defend his China Open title.

The 19-year-old Spanish sensation will head a world-class line-up at the two-week tournament that features both men’s and women’s singles.

Russia's world No.6 Nikolay Davydenko and Argentinian ace Guillermo Coria – the runner-up to Nadal last year – have also been confirmed for the event.

The women's singles will be headlined by Belgium's Justine Henin-Hardenne, Lindsay Davenport of the USA and Russian star Svetlana Kuznetsova – players with a total of eight Grand Slam titles between them.

Nadal, who toppled world No.1 Roger Federer in the final of the ATP Masters Series Monte Carlo last Sunday, said he was looking forward to returning to Beijing.

"I like the China Open," he said. "The fans treated me very well last year and I’m glad I was able to play some good tennis for them.

"I think Beijing is a fantastic city and I’m delighted to be coming back – I just hope I have a bit more time for sight-seeing this time because last year I was playing almost every day."

The star players were announced at the 2006 China Open launch press conference in Beijing on Friday by the organising committee.

Tommei Tong, chief executive officer and executive director of TOM Group Limited, the tournament co-organiser, hailed the event's world-class line-up.

"We are delighted Rafael Nadal will once again be showcasing his fantastic skills at the China Open," she said.

"When he won the China Open last year, he was extremely complimentary about the tournament, the city of Beijing and the incredible warmth and hospitality of the Chinese people.

"He said then that he hoped to come back to China to defend his title and he has been true to his word. We are delighted that he has confirmed he will return to the China Open this year.

"The women's singles will also feature some incredible talents in the shape of Justine Henin-Hardenne, Lindsay Davenport and Svetlana Kuznetsova – all of whom are Grand Slam champions."

Tong added: "In just its third year, the China Open is already firmly established as a world class tennis tournament featuring many of the top male and female players in the game.

"The 2006 edition promises to be the best yet and I'm sure Chinese fans are looking forward to a feast of spectacular tennis.

"The China Open will continue to be the flagship event of TOM Group's sports division. Together with Beijing Media Corporation Limited and other organising partners, we will continue our commitment to the tournament as we pursue our goal of making it a year-round tennis event comparable, in every aspect, to the four Grand Slams."

The China Open will be staged at the Beijing Tennis Centre from September 11-24. The men's singles will be played the first week, with the women's competition the following week.

The tournament, with prize money totalling US$1.1 million, will once again be sanctioned by the ATP and WTA Tours and the International Tennis Federation.

Nadal, still only 19, has won an astonishing 14 titles in his meteoric career, including the 2005 French Open.

Davydenko has collected five titles in his rise up the rankings while Coria has won nine tournaments in his career and also reached the French Open final in 2004.

Women's world No.4 Henin-Hardenne has captured four Grand Slam titles, her latest being the French Open last year. Davenport, currently No.7 in the rankings, has won an astonishing 51 singles titles in more than a decade at the top.

World No.10 Kuznetsova claimed the finest win of her career to date when she captured the 2004 US Open, after which she finished runner-up to Serena Williams in the inaugural China Open women's final.

She won her sixth career title last month when she beat compatriot Maria Sharapova in the final of the NASDAQ-100 Open in Miami.

Released by Two Up Front on behalf of TOM Group Limited, co-organiser of China Open 2006.

About the China Open
The China Open 2006, to be held from September 11-24 at the Beijing Tennis Centre, is organised by the General Administration of Sports of China and the Beijing Municipal Government and co-organised by Beijing Media Corporation Limited and TOM Group Limited. It is co-sanctioned by the Chinese Tennis Association, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Sport and the China Open Promotion Company Limited.

About TOM Group Limited
TOM Group Limited is listed on the Main Board of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong. A leading Chinese-language media conglomerate in Greater China, TOM Group has diverse business interests in five key areas: Internet (TOM Online), Outdoor Media (TOM Outdoor Media Group), Publishing, Sports, Television and Entertainment across markets in Mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. In each of the areas it operates, TOM Group has secured market leadership.

The Group was founded in October 1999 as a joint venture between Hutchison Whampoa, Cheung Kong (Holdings) Limited, and other strategic investors. Headquartered in Hong Kong, the Group has regional headquarters in Beijing, Shanghai and Taipei with over 4,000 employees in more than 20 cities.

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