July - September

From Clijsters to Williams: all four Grand Slam winners in the line-up 29 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, 1- 9 October, Filderstadt

Stuttgart. The Porsche Tennis Grand Prix remains a tournament with one of the world’s best main draw fields. All four 2005 Grand Slam winners will line up for the 29th edition of the traditional tournament from 1 – 9 October.

Kim Clijsters will go into the main draw as the newly crowned US Open champion. The Belgian and her countrywoman, Justine Henin-Hardenne, produced an absorbing 2003 final in Filderstadt at which the world No 1 spot was also at stake. Clijsters won in three sets and defended her top position in doing so. Justine Henin-Hardenne will also be in Filderstadt. She will come to the Porsche as the French Open winner.

There’s also a reunion with the Williams sisters (USA), both of whom were Filderstadt’s guests for the last time in 1998. Serena Williams will travel to the state of Baden Württemberg as the Australian Open title holder. She will be accompanied by her sister Venus Williams, who won the All England Lawn Tennis Club’s title in Wimbledon for the third time in her tennis career.

Previously only Kim Clijsters has been able to win the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix; pre-2003, she took the winner’s trophy home with her in 2002. Justine Henin-Hardenne’s biggest success in Filderstadt came when she reached the final against her countrywoman. Serena Williams was knocked out at the quarter-final stage in 1998, whilst her sister went out in the second round when participating early on in her career.

GO

15.09.2005