STEPHENS AND GOERGES AWARDED WILDCARDS INTO 2013 NEW HAVEN OPEN

Written by: Staff on 15th August 2013

STEPHENS AND GOERGES AWARDED WILDCARDS INTO 2013 NEW HAVEN OPEN

epa03371684 Julia Goerges of Germany hits a return to Kristyna Pliskova of the Czech Republic during their match on the first day of the 2012 US Open Tennis Championship at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 27 August 2012. The US Open runs through Sunday 09 September 2012. EPA/PETER FOLEY |

Sloane Stephens and Julia Goerges have been awarded wildcards into the New Haven Open at Yale presented by First Niagara, a WTA event that is part of the Emirates Airline US Open Series to be held August 16-24, 2013 at the Connecticut Tennis Center, it was announced today by Tournament Director Anne Worcester.

Stephens, a 20-year-old from Florida, reached a career-high ranking of No. 15 in the world earlier this year after reaching the semifinals at the Australian Open, defeating current World No. 1 Serena Williams en route; the round of 16 at the French Open; and the quarterfinals at Wimbledon. The current World No. 17 scored a major upset on Tuesday night in Cincinnati, defeating World No. 3 and four-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova in the second round of the Western & Southern Open. This will be Stephens’ third straight appearance at the New Haven Open, where she reached the round of 16 last year.

“I’m so happy to be playing at the New Haven Open for the third straight year,” said Stephens. “I love the city and the tournament, which is a perfect final stop before competing in New York at the US Open.”

Goerges, a native of Germany, has two career WTA singles titles – Stuttgart (2011) and Bad Gastein (2010). A member of her country’s Olympic team in London, the 24-year-old reached a career-high ranking of World No. 15 in March of 2012 and finished the year in the WTA top 20 for the first time in her career. This will be Goerges’ second appearance at the New Haven Open, where she fell in the final round of qualifying in 2008.

“Sloane and Julia are fantastic additions to our already spectacular player field,” said Worcester. “Sloane has the potential to be the next big American star and has had major results already by age 20. Julia will definitely be a fan-favorite in New Haven, too, as her aggressive style of play is sure to create fireworks on court.”

Stephens and Goerges join a player field that includes four of the top 10 players in the world including Sara Errani (No. 6), Angelique Kerber (No. 8), defending New Haven Open Champion Petra Kvitova (No. 9), and four-time New Haven Open Champion Caroline Wozniacki (No. 10). In addition, eight other top 25 players are in the field including 2013 Wimbledon Finalist Sabine Lisicki.

Reigning Wimbledon Champion and World No. 7 Marion Bartoli was previously set to play at this year’s New Haven Open, but retired from the game of tennis following her second-round loss in Cincinnati.

“The New Haven Open is very disappointed that Marion Bartoli will not be playing in this year’s event following her retirement from the game of tennis last night,” said Worcester. “She was one of our most consistent competitors over the years, playing here nine times, and I know our fans were looking forward to cheering for the newly crowned Wimbledon Champion. I congratulate Marion on her successful career and have the utmost respect for her values, her wonderful personality, and her loyalty to the New Haven Open.”

Wildcards into the qualifying draw were awarded to 2011 New Haven Open finalist Petra Cetkovska and Americans Alexandra Mueller, Connie Hsu and Nadia Echeverria Alam.

Cetkovska, from the Czech Republic, shocked the New Haven field in 2011, reaching the finals as a qualifier after winning seven straight matches and defeating three top 15 players en route. Mueller has won the US Open National Playoffs, played alongside the New Haven Open two of the last three years. Hsu was a former Ivy League standout at the University of Pennsylvania before turning professional and reached a career-high ranking in the top 250 in July. Echeverria Alam is an 18-year-old playing in just her second WTA tournament, her first coming earlier this year in Bogota qualifying.

This year, fans will be closer to the action than ever before, as the New Haven Open consolidates all seating into the Box Ring of the Connecticut Tennis Center at Yale. This enhanced proximity to the players and on-court action as well as increased in-stadium entertainment is available starting at just $24.

About New Haven Open at Yale presented by First Niagara

New Haven Open at Yale presented by First Niagara has always been much more than a tennis tournament; it is a leading example of leveraging a large-scale international sporting event to generate $26 million in regional economic impact and to build community pride, spirit and engagement, especially among youth. This year’s player field features five of the top 10 players in the world including two former Wimbledon Champions – Marion Bartoli (2013) and Petra Kvitova (2011). The women’s-only WTA event is part of the Emirates Airline US Open Series and will be held August 16-24, 2013 at the Connecticut Tennis Center at Yale. The New Haven Open is prominently featured domestically on ESPN2 and Tennis Channel and also broadcast around the world. For more information about the tournament and tickets, visit www.newhavenopen.com or call 1-855-464-8366

Topics: Julia Goerges, New Haven tennis news, Petra Cetkovska, Sloane Stephens, Wta