20 TOP WTA TOUR PLAYERS FOR BMW MALAYSIAN OPEN

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 12 (Bernama) -- Twenty top Women's Tennis Association (WTA)
tour players, among them Li Na of China and Kimiko Date Krum of Japan, are
expected to take part in the BMW Malaysian Open this year.

The tournament, which is a leg of the WTA tour, is to be held from Feb 28 to
March 6 at the Bukit Kiara Equestrian and Country Resort near here.

A total of 32 singles players and 16 doubles players would compete in a
knockout-style competition for the US$220,000 prize money.

Lawn Tennis Association of Malaysia (LTAM) vice-president Cheng Joo Chong said
that this year the association received two wildcard entries from the organiser.


"The wildcards will be given to deserving players whom we know will
appreciate the opportunity. Most probably, we'll give it to the top-ranked local
players," he told a news conference here Tuesday.

Also present at the announcement was Youth and Sports Minister Ahmad Shabery
Cheek.

Cheng said the registration deadline for the main draw was Jan 17 and the
official list of players participating in the tournament would be announced in
10 days to two weeks' time.

Last year, Russian Alisa Kleybanova became the first singles champion of the
tournament while the combination of Chang Yun-jan of Taiwan and Zheng Jie of
China won the doubles category.

Earlier, BMW Group Malaysia Managing Director Geoffrey Briscoe announced the
company's title sponsorship of the tournament.

"We hope the tournament will be bigger and grander and will attract more tennis
enthusiasts than last year," he said.
-- BERNAMA