Two-time Grand Slam singles champion and former world No.1 Amelie Mauresmo has been confirmed for the 2008 Mondial Australian Women's Hardcourts.
The tournament will be held at Royal Pines Resort on the Gold Coast from Sunday 30 December 2007 to Saturday 5 January 2008.
Mauresmo said she was very excited to be starting the 2008 season at the Mondial Australian Women's Hardcourts.
“This will be my first visit to the Gold Coast and my debut at the tournament, so there is a lot to look forward to,” Mauresmo said.
“Playing the Mondial Australian Women's Hardcourts will be a great opportunity to open the year against quality competition and finetune my preparation for the Australian Open two weeks' later.
“Of course, Australia is where I won my first Grand Slam title back in 2006, so I have special memories of the country and always enjoy coming back,” she said.
Following her win at the Australian Open, the 28-year-old Frenchwoman went on to claim her second Grand Slam title at Wimbledon only a few months later and finished runner-up at the prestigious season-ending Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Championships.
This year she accepted three major awards: the Legion of Honour, presented by French President Jacques Chirac (in March), Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Player of the Year for achievements in 2006 (also in March) and the Laureus Breakthrough of the Year for achievements in 2006 (in April).
Inspired to take up tennis at the age of four after watching Yannick Noah win the 1983 French Open, Mauresmo became the first French player – male or female – to achieve the world No.1 ranking in 2004, the same year she won the singles silver medal at the Athens Olympics.
Tournament director Liz Smylie said, “It's fantastic to have Amelie Mauresmo confirmed for the 2008 Mondial Australian Women's Hardcourts. She's such a talented, athletic player; amazing to watch in action.
“Her achievements in tennis are remarkable: reaching the world No.1 ranking, claiming two Grand Slam titles in one year and winning an Olympic medal.
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2 comments:
Gold coast...isn't that where they do a lot of surfing? Which also happens to be one of Amelie's favourite pass times :D
She's not going there just to work on her tennis you know ;) :D
yeah leave it to mix pleasure with work
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