Beijing Olympic Games

Updated: 2008-06-20

2008 China Open press conference (Photo credit: China Photo Press)

(BEIJING, June 20) — Six more world-class tennis players have committed to coming to Beijing for the 2008 China Tennis Open in September.

Frenchman Richard Gasquet, ranked No. 9 in the world, and Spain’s Tommy Robredo, (nicknamed “Disco Tommy”,) join Australian World No. 6 Andy Roddick, “Stone Hand” Fernando Gonzalez of Chile (ranked 14) and Cypriot star Marcos Baghdatis, who all signed up in April.

Among the women, top Russian duo Svetlana Kuznetsova (world No. 4) and Anna Chakvetadze (ranked No. 8), runner-up of 2008 French Open, Dinara Safina and Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia, will also play alongside world’s top two players, French Open champion, Ana Ivanovic, and Jelena Jankovic of Serbia, and Hungarian No. 1, Agnes Szavay.

Their participation was announced at an official press conference held at the Shangri-La Hotel in Beijing on June 18, 2008.

In total, 12 players will participate in the 2008 China Open. Out of the seven women players, six are in the top 10 of the WTA ranking list. Three of the five men’s players, are ranked in the top ten of the ATP list.

Roddick, Gasquet, Hantuchova and Ivanovic are participating in the China Open for the first time. Others are the “old friends” of the tournament — Gonzalez, Baghdatis, Jankovic, Szavay and Kuznetsova have all won past titles at the Beijing event which runs September 20 -28.