The Bank of the West Classic has Grand Slam Caliber Field
STANFORD, CA (www.BankOfTheWestClassic.com) – Vera Zvonareva, who will be making her fourth appearance at the Bank of the West Classic later this month, has just punched her ticket to the Wimbledon final after defeating two-time U.S. Open winner Kim Clijsters in the quarterfinals and Tsvetana Pironkova in the semifinals.
The player field at the 2010 Bank of the West Classic, which will be played July 26 – August 1 at Stanford University, is loaded with Grand Slam level competition.
With Zvonareva reaching the finals of Wimbledon, the 2010 Bank of the West Classic will now feature a finalist from the last two Grand Slam events and at least one semifinalist from each of the four previous Grand Slams including 2010 French Open finalist Samantha Stosur, 2010 Australian Open semifinalist Zheng Jie and 2009 US Open semifinalist Yanina Wickmayer.
When you consider the singles draw includes three-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova, 2008 French Open champion Ana Ivanovic, two-time Grand Slam finalist Elena Dementieva, 2008 Australian Open semifinalist Daniela Hantuchova, 2007 Wimbledon finalist Marion Bartoli and two-time Grand Slam semifinalist Kimiko Date Krumm this year’s Bank of the West Classic will boast a player field rivaling the best on tour.
And if that wasn’t enough, the doubles draw will feature three-time Grand Slam champion Lindsay Davenport playing with Liezel Huber, the world’s No. 1 ranked doubles player.
Tickets for the 2010 Bank of the West Classic can be purchased by calling the box office at 866-WTA-TIXS (866-982-8497) or by logging on to www.BankoftheWestClassic.com. Single-session tickets for the tournament's opening round start at just $26.
The 2010 Bank of the West Classic will feature a 30-player singles draw and 16-team doubles draw. The official tournament draw, and first round match-ups, will be announced on Saturday, July 24.
In addition to individual session tickets, full-week packages start at just $575 and include tickets to all 13 sessions, a pass to the exclusive Grand Marnier Plaza Club and an invitation to the Meet the Players Party. Those who purchase a pair of seats will also receive a weeklong VIP parking pass and a Bank of the West Classic Tournament program.
The Bank of the West Classic is also offering several weekend packages starting at $240.
Entering its 40th year the Bank of the West Classic is the longest running women-only professional tennis tournament in the world. The list of past champions of the event reads like a “Who's Who” of women's tennis including Lindsay Davenport, Billie Jean King, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Andrea Jaeger, Monica Seles, Martina Hingis, Venus Williams and Kim Clijsters.
The event is owned and operated by IMG and serves as the opening women's event of the Olympus US Open Series. Qualifying will be held July 24-25 and is free to the public.
Log on to www.BankoftheWestClassic.com for more information.
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 Olympus US Open Series. A Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Premier event, the Bank of the West Classic features a 30-player singles draw and a 16-team doubles draw with total prize money of $700,000. 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: Based in San Francisco, $61 billion-asset Bank of the West (www.bankofthewest.com) offers a full range of business, corporate, personal, trust and international banking services. For the third year in a row, Bank of the West has been ranked "highest in customer satisfaction in retail banking" in California by J.D. Power and Associates. The Bank operates more than 700 branch locations and commercial banking offices in 19 Western and Midwestern states. Bank of the West's holding company, BancWest Corporation, is a subsidiary of BNP Paribas, among the six strongest banks in the world, according to Standard & Poor's.
