News

Carlsbad, Calif. — Russia’s Vera Zvonareva, ranked third in the world, has entered the 2011 Mercury Insurance Open Presented by Tri-City Medical Center, July 30 – August 7 at the La Costa Resort and Spa, tournament officials announced today.

The 2011 Mercury Insurance Open will feature two of the top three players in the world as Zvonareva joins Kim Clijsters of Belgium, No. 2 in the world according to the Women’s Tennis Association singles rankings released on June 20.

Tournament officials also announced that defending Mercury Insurance Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia and 2010 runner-up Agniezka Radwanska of Poland have entered the tournament. Kuznetsova is ranked No. 12 in the world, while Radwanska is No. 11.

Zvonareva, who finished last year ranked second, reached the finals at Wimbledon and the US Open in 2010. This year, she was a semifinalist at the Australian Open and reached the fourth round of the French Open. The 26-year-old Russian, who has won 11 WTA Tour singles titles, will be making her fifth appearance in Carlsbad where her best result was a semifinal finish in 2004.

“We are overjoyed to have all three of these great competitors playing in this year’s tournament. Kuznetsova and Radwanska played an incredible singles final last year,” said Mercury Insurance Open tournament director Raquel Giscafre. “With today’s announcement, the field for this summer’s Mercury Insurance Open is shaping up to be a very competitive field and I strongly encourage fans to purchase their tickets now.”

In a thrilling singles final played at last year’s Mercury Insurance Open, Kuznetsova defeated Radwanska, 6-4, 6-7 (7), 6-3 in two-hours and 35 minutes. Fans watching the match witnessed the most dramatic moment of the entire tournament as Radwanska fought off four match points in the second-set tiebreaker to extend the match to three sets before she eventually fell to the Russian.

Kuznetsova, a former French Open and US Open champion, has been ranked as high as No. 2 in the world. She has won 13 WTA Tour singles titles and is a member of the Russian Fed Cup team. Kuznetsova, who will be 26 years old on June 27, reached the fourth round of the Australian Open and the quarterfinals at the French Open this year. She will be making her fifth appearance in Carlsbad.

The 22-year-old Radwanska has been ranked as high as No. 8 in the world. She has won four WTA Tour singles titles and has represented Poland in Fed Cup competition. Radwanska, who will be making her second appearance in Carlsbad, reached the Australian Open quarterfinals and the fourth round of the French Open this year.

In addition to Zvonareva, Kuznetsova, Radwanska and Clijsters, the field for the 2011 Mercury Insurance Open will be highlighted by former world No.1 Ana Ivanovic and other WTA stars, including Daniela Hantuchova, Maria Kirilenko, Flavia Pennetta, Melanie Oudin, Coco Vandeweghe, Julia Goerges, Anna Chakvetadze and Yanina Wickmayer.

Individual tickets are now on sale for the 2011 Mercury Insurance Open, July 30 to August 7 at the La Costa Resort and Spa. Reserved grandstand and box seat tickets, which range from $10-$125, are now available online at mercuryinsuranceopen.com or through Ticketmaster at ticketmaster.com. Tournament ticket packages are also on sale and begin at $70.

The Mercury Insurance Open, a Premier 700 Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) event offering $721,000 in prize money, will feature a 56-player singles draw and a 16-team doubles draw in 2011. The women’s professional tennis event returned to the La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad in 2010 after a two-year hiatus. Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova won the singles title last summer when she defeated Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland in the final. The tournament will be televised on the Tennis Channel and ESPN 2.

The Mercury Insurance Open is a participating tournament in the Olympus US Open Series. The US Open Series, now in its eighth year, is a six-week summer tennis season that links 10 ATP World Tour and WTA tournaments together. The series leads into the US Open. The Mercury Insurance Open is the second women’s event within the series. For additional information about the Mercury Insurance Open Presented by Tri-City Medical Center, log onto http://mercuryinsuranceopen.com/, join us on Facebook (http://facebook.com/SDTennis) or follow frequent updates on Twitter (http://twitter.com/MercuryInsOpen).

About Mercury Insurance

Mercury Insurance (MCY) is a multiple-line insurance organization predominantly offering personal automobile and homeowners insurance through a network of independent agents and brokers in California, Florida, New Jersey, Texas, Arizona, New York, Georgia, Oklahoma, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, Virginia and Pennsylvania. Founded in 1962, Mercury specializes in providing quality insurance at affordable prices – core values that distinguish Mercury in the marketplace. For more information about Mercury Insurance, visit mercuryinsurance.com.

About Tri-City Medical Center

Tri-City Medical Center is a Joint Commission gold seal accredited, full-service, acute care hospital with three advanced clinical institutes and physicians practicing in 60 specialties. Administered by the Tri-City Healthcare District which includes Oceanside, Vista and most of Carlsbad, Tri-City is celebrating 50 years caring for the community. For more information about Tri-City Medical Center, please visit tricitymed.org.

About Octagon Tennis

Octagon’s history and tradition in tennis dates back nearly 40 years. Octagon has played an important role in the globalization of professional tennis. Our long-standing reputation for integrity is the foundation of our leadership position in the industry. Our mission is to serve as the pre-eminent management and marketing agency worldwide for the representation of tennis players. For more information, visit octagontennis.com.