WTA Elite Trophy inaugurates new Hengqin Tennis Center

Venus Williams is one of the players taking part in the Hengqin tournament

Ranking third out of all women’s tennis events in China, the WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai is showcasing some of the world’s elite tennis players in the neighboring island of Hengqin, with the final game scheduled for Sunday.
Offering a prize of USD2,150,000 and 700 WTA credit points for the winner, the tournament running just across the border is benefitting from the presence of big names such as Angelique Kerber, Victoria Azarenka, and Ana Ivanovic. Other prestigious competitors are also in attendance, such as the former WTA top rankers: Venus Williams, Caroline Wozniacki and Jelena Jankovic; the 2015 US Open runner-up Roberta Vinci, and WTA Rising Stars Karolina Pliskova, Madison Keys, and Elina Svitolina.
The tournament inaugurates the newly-constructed Zhuhai Hengqin International Tennis Center, a new set of sports venues surrounded by the metropolitan circle of Zhuhai, Macau and Hong Kong. The event will be complemented by a broad range of activities in the center’s “Tennis Carnival”, in order to enrich the audience’s overall experience. The organizer has organized cultural activities spanning the seven days of the main event. The entire carnival consists of four “thematic zones” and five “thematic days”, targeting audiences from different age groups.
Stage performances, cartoon cruises, food and souvenirs are also on the program, which aims to create memorable family experiences for both tourists and Zhuhai residents.
The tennis center is located in the central section of Hengqin New Area, covering a floor area of approximately 117,000 square meters, and will be built in two phases.
The first phase covers an area of around 68,000 square meters, comprising one 5,000-seat indoor court, one 1,500-seat outdoor stadium, four 250-seat outdoor match arenas, and 12 outdoor training grounds.
The second phase will cover around 15,000 square meters on the top-level of the main stadium, including a cultural exhibition area, an indoor training hall, apartments for athletes, and related service facilities.  RM