STANFORD, Calif. (www.BankOfTheWestClassic.com) – The top-four seeded players took some time to meet with the media as part of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour All-Access Hour on Monday at the Bank of the West Classic in the Bank of the West Hospitality Tent located at Stanford’s Taube Family Tennis Stadium.
No. 1 Serena Williams, No.2 Anna Chakvetadze, No.3 Vera Zvonareva and No.4 Daniela Hantuchova partook in a series of interviews in which they expressed their thoughts and expectations for the upcoming week of play.
“I came here as the defending champion,” said Chakvetadze. “I really like this place because it’s really quiet and the people are nice so it’s great to spend some time here.”
Hantuchova, who is returning to the tournament for a fifth time, expressed similar sentiments: “I think the facilities here are great. You have the gym, the court, the pool and the track nearby. You always see people doing something, whether it’s running or biking. So it gives you a nice attitude to try and do something.”
Following the interviews the players had an opportunity to take pictures with the Bank of the West Classic Bear.
Tickets for the tournament’s opening rounds start at just $23. For more information, or to purchase tickets, call the box office at 866-WTA-TIXS (866-982-8497) or log on to www.BankoftheWestClassic.com.
The Bank of the West Classic, a Sony Ericsson WTA Tour event, will be played July 14-20 at the Taube Family Tennis Stadium at Stanford University and features a 28-player singles draw as well as a 16-team doubles draw. The event is owned and operated by IMG and serves as the opening women’s event of the Olympus US Open Series.
ABOUT THE BANK OF THE WEST CLASSIC: The Bank of the West Classic is the longest-running women-only professional tennis tournament in the world and is the first stop of the US Open Series. A Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Tier II event, the Bank of the West Classic features a 28-player singles draw and a 16-team doubles draw with total prize money of $600,000. Held on Stanford University’s campus at the Taube Family Tennis Stadium since 1997, former champions include: Billie Jean King, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Andrea Jaeger, Monica Seles, Martina Hingis, Lindsay Davenport and Venus Williams. The Bank of the West Classic is owned and operated by IMG.
ABOUT BANK OF THE WEST: Founded in 1874 and headquartered in San Francisco, $62 billion-asset Bank of the West is the second-largest commercial bank based in California. Bank of the West offers a full range of business, trust, international and personal banking services. The bank currently operates more than 700 commercial and retail banking locations in 19 Western and Midwestern states. In 2008, Bank of the West ranked “Highest in Customer Satisfaction among Retail Banks in the West” by J.D. Power and Associates. Bank of the West's holding company, BancWest Corporation, is owned by BNP Paribas, a leading global financial services institution ranked by Standard & Poor's as one of the world's four strongest banks. More information is available at www.bankofthewest.com.