WTA Istanbul Tenis Turnuvası bugün başlıyor
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WTA Istanbul begins today
08/02/2010 00:00:00
The WTA Istanbul Cup will be a successdespiteSerena Williams'sannouncementthat she willskipthe tournament,according tothe topfigurein Turkish tennis.
The tournament, the first round of which starts on Monday, hassufferedamajorsetbacksince the top-ranked woman player announced herdecisiontowithdrawdue toa footinjurycaused bysteppingon broken glass last week.
Speaking about the sixth edition of the hard-court tournament, Ayda Uluç, thechairwomanof the Turkish Tennis Federation, or TTF, said it was a disappointment but added that the event would still survive without the American star.
"She was always our first option because we were thinking, 'If we are bringing a player, why not bring the best?'' she said at the head office of the TTF in the Karaköy neighborhood of Istanbul. "We weresetto welcome her, but then thisunfortunateaccident happened.'
Despite the disappointment for Turkish tennis fans, who would have the opportunity to see a top-ranked player in the country for the first time, Uluç refuses toremaindowncastby the news.
"We are upset with the news but in sports, you always keepsuchpossibilitiesin mind. We were sad but notshocked,' said Uluç.
"We first contacted Kim Clijsters [of Belgium] toreplaceSerena, but as interested as she was, she said no because she was going to the United States for the U.S. Open. We then thought about Nadia Petrova and Flavia Pennetta, but at the end of the day, decided that they would not be ascatchyas Serena.'
Leaving Serena Williams'swithdrawalaside, the WTA Istanbul Cup, one of the last two hard-court tournaments in Europe before the season-ending Grand Slam, still has a bill that isworthwatching.
"I believe that the line-up is really good, even without Serena,' Uluç said.
This is the sixth year of the WTA Istanbul Cup, which previously welcomed Venus Williams, Maria Sharapova and Elena Dementieva, and the last one before going on a three-yearhiatus. Next year, Istanbul willtake overthe year-ending Sony Ericsson Championships from Doha, Qatar.
The Sony Ericsson Championships signals that the tennis agenda in Turkey will become busier and Uluç has no worries about it.
WTA Istanbul Tenis Turnuvası bugün başlıyor - WTA Istanbul begins today
The WTA Istanbul Cup will be a successdespiteSerena Williams'sannouncementthat she willskipthe tournament,according tothe topfigurein Turkish tennis.
The tournament, the first round of which starts on Monday, hassufferedamajorsetbacksince the top-ranked woman player announced herdecisiontowithdrawdue toa footinjurycaused bysteppingon broken glass last week.
Speaking about the sixth edition of the hard-court tournament, Ayda Uluç, thechairwomanof the Turkish Tennis Federation, or TTF, said it was a disappointment but added that the event would still survive without the American star.
"She was always our first option because we were thinking, 'If we are bringing a player, why not bring the best?'' she said at the head office of the TTF in the Karaköy neighborhood of Istanbul. "We weresetto welcome her, but then thisunfortunateaccident happened.'
Despite the disappointment for Turkish tennis fans, who would have the opportunity to see a top-ranked player in the country for the first time, Uluç refuses toremaindowncastby the news.
"We are upset with the news but in sports, you always keepsuchpossibilitiesin mind. We were sad but notshocked,' said Uluç.
"We first contacted Kim Clijsters [of Belgium] toreplaceSerena, but as interested as she was, she said no because she was going to the United States for the U.S. Open. We then thought about Nadia Petrova and Flavia Pennetta, but at the end of the day, decided that they would not be ascatchyas Serena.'
Leaving Serena Williams'swithdrawalaside, the WTA Istanbul Cup, one of the last two hard-court tournaments in Europe before the season-ending Grand Slam, still has a bill that isworthwatching.
"I believe that the line-up is really good, even without Serena,' Uluç said.
This is the sixth year of the WTA Istanbul Cup, which previously welcomed Venus Williams, Maria Sharapova and Elena Dementieva, and the last one before going on a three-yearhiatus. Next year, Istanbul willtake overthe year-ending Sony Ericsson Championships from Doha, Qatar.
The Sony Ericsson Championships signals that the tennis agenda in Turkey will become busier and Uluç has no worries about it.