Beijing Olympic gold medalist Elena Dementieva will receive a warm welcome at the 2009 Family Circle Cup in Charleston, South Carolina.
Tournament officials have announced that the two-time Grand Slam finalist from Russia expects to compete at April’s event.
As the fifth Top 10 player to commit to the tournament, Dementieva joins World No. 1 and defending Family Circle Cup Champion Serena Williams, World No. 5 Venus Williams, World No. 6 Vera Zvonareva, and World No. 9 Nadia Petrova as they headline the Family Circle Cup, a Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Premier Event, scheduled April 11-19, 2009, at the Family Circle Tennis Center in Charleston, SC.
“We’re very excited that another Top 5 ranked player has chosen to begin their clay court season at the Family Circle Cup. Elena Dementieva has already posted some impressive results this year, and if her long history of success at this event is an indicator of future results, our fans are sure in for a treat this April,” commented Eleanor Adams, Family Circle Cup Tournament Manager.
Dementieva reached the third round in her Family Circle Cup debut in 2000, the final year the tournament was held in Hilton Head, SC. She notched similar finishes in Charleston from 2002 through 2004, until achieving her best result as a finalist in 2005. Returning to Charleston in 2008, she posted a strong semifinal appearance after an action-packed 3-set match opposite Vera Zvonareva.
“I’ve come close to winning the Family Circle Cup, and this is a title that I would like to own in my career, so I’m really looking forward to competing in Charleston,” commented Elena Dementieva.
The Family Circle Cup is scheduled April 11-19, 2009 at the Family Circle Tennis Center in Charleston, SC. For more information, please visit www.familycirclecup.com
