Wimbledon Finalist Marion Bartoli Joins Family Circle Cup Field
Posted by Aaress Lawless on Feb 4, 2008 | Print | Email | Bookmark | Free Subscription
Last year’s Wimbledon finalist Marion Bartoli has been added to the Family Circle Cup player field, tournament officials announced on Monday.
Already six of the Top 10 players in the world plan to compete in the 35th staging of Charleston’s Tier I tournament.
The Family Circle Cup has a 35-year history of accomplishments in women’s professional tennis and has set a standard of excellence as a Tier I tournament on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour.
Charleston’s premier sporting event has also become its foremost social affair, and with a full schedule of special activities being planned for its 35th anniversary celebration, it’s fitting that yet another marquis player has committed to the 2008 event.
With today’s announcement that World No. 9 Marion Bartoli has officially entered the Family Circle Cup, Charleston’s player field now boasts six of the Top 10 players on the WTA Tour.
In addition to Bartoli, the world class draw will also include World No. 1 Justine Henin, No. 4 Jelena Jankovic, No. 6 Venus Williams, No. 7 Anna Chakvetadze, and No. 10 Serena Williams. The Family Circle Cup, America’s oldest Tier I event, will be held April 12th - 20th at the Family Circle Tennis Center in Charleston, South Carolina.
“Marion Bartoli’s impressive Wimbledon run last year really brought to the forefront what a talented player she is,” commented Robin Reynolds, Family Circle Cup Tournament Director. “She joins a world class player field coming to Charleston in April, and our fans are sure to experience the best in women’s tennis throughout our 35th anniversary celebration.”
Owner of three career singles titles, twenty-three year old Marion Bartoli enjoyed a breakthrough year in 2007 where she notched her first Top 10 finish on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour achieving a World No. 9 ranking in October and garnering her 250th singles victory.
Her season was highlighted by a runner-up finish at Wimbledon where she defeated Jelena Jankovic and Justine Henin before facing Venus Williams in the final.
Bartoli made five semifinal appearances in 2007 including Strasbourg, Birmingham, Eastbourne, Luxembourg, and Linz, as well as two Grand Slam fourth round appearances at Roland Garros and the US Open. She became the new French No. 1 on September 10th, 2007 when she overtook Amélie Mauresmo who held that position since 2001.
She won over $1 million in a single season for the first time, earning nearly half of her career prize money in one year, surpassing $2.5 million in career earnings. Bartoli has competed in the Family Circle Cup on three occasions and holds a 3-3 record at this event.
The 2008 Family Circle Cup will be held April 12th - 20th at the Family Circle Tennis Center in Charleston, South Carolina. For more information on the Family Circle Cup, visit www.familycirclecup.com.
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