Watsons Water Champions Challenge Confirm Four more Exciting Stars

Hong Kong (24 November 2005)

Organisers today confirmed four more exciting stars to take part in the Watsons Water Champions Challenge 2006.

Joining World No. 1 Lindsay Davenport and World No. 2 Kim Clijsters, together with champions Venus and Serena Williams in a star-studded field are:

Russian heroine and Watsons Water Champions Challenge defending Champion, Elena Dementieva - World No 8

Czech glamour girl and new star, Nicole Vaidisova - World No 15

Indian idol "with attitude", Sania Mirza - World No 31

China National Games Champion, Zheng Jie - World No 44

Very popular with HK fans, Elena Dementieva returns to defend her 2005 crown. But it's the three new faces that are about to excite the senses.

Czech star Nicole Vaidisova has taken the world by storm. From obscurity in 2005, Nicole has jumped the rankings and currently stands at No. 15 in the world. Experts agree she's 'the real deal' and represents a threat to all the top players. And not just on the tennis court! With three consecutive wins in Asia, Nicole is the new darling of the sports press, newspaper paparazzi and tennis sponsors. Blessed with Hollywood goodlooks, Nicole is challenging the established order of stars, both for tournament titles, magazine covers and sponsorship dollars. She's instantly built an adoring fan base in Asia winning hearts in Tokyo, Seoul and Bangkok.

Having recently burst into the Top 20, Vaidisova is the youngest player to occupy a place in that elite group. A sharper and more focused comparison shows Nicole was ranked higher than Maria Sharapova was at 16yrs, (34th in the world), and higher than Serena Williams, (who was 40th in the world).

Nicole herself points to her best quality as 'not being scared' when she meets the top players. " I focus on my game" she says, "and I want to win". Her singleminded desire to succeed has marked her out from the crowd. And at nearly six feet tall, with grace, talent and energy on the court, some sportswriters mention her in the same breath as Tiger Woods, Yao Ming and Steffi Graf.

Nicole competed in the Watsons tournament last year, and TPA President Ian Wade said "The TPA likes to spot these youngsters, just like we did with Maria Sharapova. We enjoy bringing a newcomer to our event, it's like an investment, and she's already paying us back. By all accounts she has the lot, and she's shaping to become the best in the world. Time will tell of course, but we're very excited by her, and are delighted she's coming to Hong Kong."

Organisers are also excited by Indian icon Sania Mirza. The best female player ever to come out of India, Sania is making headlines with her explosive tennis and her outspoken style. Her tennis does the talking however. The fastest rising star in the world, male or female, Sania's jumped from 326 to 31 this year. Not only that but she's the first woman from India to reach the last 16 of the US Open, and the first ever Indian player to break the top 50. Described by Vijay Armritraj as "a future Grand Slam champion", and by Wimbledon commentator John Barrett as "the best I've seen in a long time", Sania has made an indelible mark on world tennis. No less an expert than Kim Clijsters has said, "She's probably hitting the ball harder and cleaner than a lot of the top girls"

Sania's success and fame has also divided the conservative faction's of India's religious groups and the liberal movement of the modern Indian woman. To the latter she's a role model, to the former, a carelessly dressed Muslim athlete. Uncomfortable, that everything she wears is scrutinized and publicly debated, Sania says, "I follow all the tenets of Islam". And her supporters also say "she dresses in a particular manner to increase her mobility on court". But the controversy won't die down. Sania Mirza comes to Hong Kong at the height of her fame and popularity. Fans will be intrigued to see this young woman unveiled.

The other new face to excite Hong Kong fans is Zheng Jie. She's just won the China National Games Singles Title, which marks her out as China's best player. With a world ranking of 44, Zheng Jie is destined to get lots of vocal support from tennis fans in Hong Kong. Commented Ian Wade " Support for Chinese athletes in Hong Kong is at an all time high. I can just hear the crowd at Victoria Park chanting her name and urging her to great things. It wouldn't surprise me that she takes the scalp of some big names in our tournament. Zheng's a great addition to our draw."

The Watsons Water Champions Challenge has already announced four of the world's top 10 in its field and Mr Wade excitingly concluded "In the New Year all these players will be raring to go, we've got an exceptional group of quality players, and it's going to be a great tournament."

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