TWO-TIME DEFENDING CHAMPION PETRA KVITOVA AND AMERICANS SLOANE STEPHENS AND MADISON KEYS COMMIT TO 2016 CONNECTICUT OPEN PRESENTED BY UNITED TECHNOLOGIES

Written by: Staff on 19th April 2016

TWO-TIME DEFENDING CHAMPION PETRA KVITOVA AND AMERICANS SLOANE STEPHENS AND MADISON KEYS COMMIT TO 2016 CONNECTICUT OPEN PRESENTED BY UNITED TECHNOLOGIES

Petra Kvitova, of the Czech Republic, hits a backhand against Lucie Safarova, also of the Czech Republic, during the finals of the Connecticut Open tennis tournament in New Haven, Conn., on Saturday, Aug. 29, 2015. (AP Photo/Fred Beckham) |

Kvitova Attempts To Join Venus Williams & Caroline Wozniacki As Four-Time Champion In New Haven; Stephens Tied With Victoria Azarenka For Most WTA Titles in 2016

Two-time Defending Champion Petra Kvitova and Americans Sloane Stephens and Madison Keys have committed to play the Connecticut Open presented by United Technologies, a WTA event that is part of the Emirates Airline US Open Series to be held August 19-27, 2016 at the Connecticut Tennis Center at Yale, it was announced today by Tournament Director Anne Worcester.

Kvitova captured her second consecutive and third overall Connecticut Open title last year, and looks to join Venus Williams and Caroline Wozniacki as a four-time winner in New Haven later this summer. The Czech was impressive during her 2015 title campaign, defeating four top-20 opponents en route to hoisting the trophy. Kvitova has reached the finals of the tournament the past four years, and captured her first Connecticut Open title in 2012. One of the most consistent talents in the sport, the World No. 7 and two-time Wimbledon Champion has finished the season ranked inside the top eight in each of the last five years and boasts a career-high ranking of No. 2 in the world.

Stephens captured her first career WTA title last summer at Washington D.C. and has capitalized on that momentum by getting off to a blazing start in 2016, winning titles at Auckland, Acapulco, and Charleston, tying her with Victoria Azarenka for the most wins of any WTA player this season. She will be making her fourth appearance at the Connecticut Open, where her best result is reaching the quarterfinals in 2013.

Keys followed up her exceptional 2015 campaign, where she broke into the Top 20 (finishing No.18), was a runner-up at Charleston and reached the semifinal at the Australian Open, with a strong start to 2016. She defeated Grand Slam winner Ana Ivanovic en route to a Round of 16 showing at the Australian Open, bounced US Open finalist Roberta Vinci at Miami during her quarterfinal run and earned a Fed Cup victory against Daria Gavrilova this past weekend. Keys, who took Petra Kvitova to three sets in last year’s Connecticut Open, will make her second appearance at New Haven.

Madison Keys of the USA returns the ball to Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan during their second round match at the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 21 January 2016. EPA/JULIAN SMITH

“We’re thrilled to welcome back our Defending Champion Petra Kvitova, along with young American talents Madison Keys and Sloane Stephens,” said Worcester. “Petra’s quest to join Venus Williams and Caroline Wozniacki as a four-time winner in New Haven, Sloane’s three championship runs already this year, and Madison’s stellar play, including an impressive Fed Cup victory against Australia, gives the 2016 Connecticut Open field three incredible stars and plenty for fans to look forward to in New Haven.”

In addition, four of the best male American tennis players of all time, Andre Agassi, John McEnroe, James Blake and Mardy Fish will compete in a PowerShares event – the circuit for champion tennis players over the age of 30 – at the 2016 Connecticut Open. The Connecticut Open Men’s Legends Event, which began two years ago, has become an official part of the PowerShares Series for 2016. This year’s event will feature an all-new format consisting of a total of three matches. On Thursday, August 25, following the women’s quarterfinal, McEnroe will play Blake, and on Friday, August 26, following the WTA semifinal, Agassi will battle Fish, with the winners of each matchup competing in a final later that night. The men’s matches will be one set each.

Fans can guarantee their tickets to WTA and Legends matches by purchasing a multiple session package which are on sale now and provides seating in a reserved location on the West sideline and savings up to 31 percent. Package options include:

After Hours (Aug. 22-27) – Every evening session, including all Legends matches, and Saturday afternoon (Finals)

Final 4 (Aug. 25-27) – Thursday evening (Quarterfinal/Legends), Friday day and evening (Semifinals/Legends), and Saturday (Finals)

Pick 4 (Aug. 21-25) – Four early round sessions including Thursday evening (Quarterfinal/Legends)

For those looking to enjoy a festival of food, music, fun activities all week long and see all 14 sessions of incredible women’s tennis plus all three Legends matches, weeklong box seats are available and provide significant savings and a host of complimentary benefits.

For more information about the 2016 Connecticut Open, including multi-session packages, weeklong box seats, sponsorship packages, hospitality and becoming a volunteer, visit www.ctopen.org or call 203-776-7331. Daily tickets for the tournament will be on sale June 6, 2016.

About Connecticut Open presented by United Technologies

Connecticut Open presented by United Technologies is a women’s only WTA tournament held August 19 – 27, 2106 at the Connecticut Tennis Center at Yale featuring five competitions, including WTA qualifying, WTA singles, WTA doubles, Men’s Legends, and the US Open National Playoffs Championship.

The tournament is owned by the State of Connecticut and is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Its mission is to leverage the excitement of world-class women’s tennis to benefit the community and maximize support for women’s, youth and other causes in Connecticut. The large-scale international sporting event generates millions of dollars in regional economic impact and builds community pride, spirit and engagement. The Connecticut Open is prominently featured domestically on ESPN2, streamed live on ESPN3 and broadcast in 160 countries around the world. For more information about the tournament and tickets, visit www.ctopen.org or call 1-855-464-8366.

About United Technologies

United Technologies, based in Hartford, Connecticut, provides high technology products and services to the building and aerospace industries. For more information, visit our website at www.utc.com or follow us on Twitter: @UTC.

Topics: Connecticut Open, Madison Keys, Petra Kvitova, Sloane Stephens, Sports, Tennis News