World’s Top Ten Ranked Women and Men to Enter Western and Southern Open

Written by: Staff on 12th July 2011

World's Top Ten Ranked Women and Men to Enter Western and Southern Open

Roger Federer of Switzerland celebrates after winning his Davis Cup Europe/Africa Zone Group I second round match against Rui Machado of Portugal in the Postfinance Arena in Bern, Switzerland, Friday, July 8, 2011. EPA/PETER KLAUNZER |

CINCINNATI (July 11, 2011) – The top ten men on the ATP World Tour and the WTA’s top ten women are all committed to play the Western & Southern Open, tournament officials announced today.

The tournament will be played August 13-21, 2011 at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, OH, 20 miles north of Cincinnati. This year is the first that both the men and women will compete simultaneously over a nine-day period. To accommodate the increase in play, the grounds are currently in the midst of a 3-year, $20 million expansion resulting in a forty percent increase in acreage.

“For one week in August the entire tennis world will be focused on Cincinnati, as the action is broadcast in 190 countries,” said Tournament Director Vince Cicero. “For players, a combined format truly represents an elite event. And fans will be surprised when they see the renovations – we’ve packed some exciting new courts into a small space, keeping the intimate feel that our tournament is known for.”

Highlighting the men’s field are returning champion and 16-time Grand Slam winner Roger Federer, along with last year’s finalist and highest-ranked American player, Mardy Fish. The two men to have won Grand Slams in 2011, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, will both attempt to capture their first Cincinnati title. Djokovic was a repeat finalist in 2008 and 2009, losing both times in the final, and Nadal has reached the semifinals twice.

On the women’s side, defending finalists Kim Clijsters and Maria Sharapova will face competition from world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki, China’s first Grand Slam champion Li Na, and newly minted Wimbledon champ Petra Kvitova.

Serena Williams and Venus Williams have also committed to play. Both made the Round of 16 in 2009 but neither played in 2010. On the men’s side, former world No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt accepted a wild card entry.

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