With the withdrawal of Slovakia’s Dominika Cibulkova from the Mercury Insurance Open, many tennis fans in Carlsbad may be spending their week watching a lot of players they’ve never heard of.
Several big names including Kim Clijsters have already withdrawn from the annual event, and according to the San Diego Union Tribune, a WTA official confirmed Monday that the tour owes the tournament $50,000 for not satisfying entry minimums for a premier event.
Tour by-laws, mandate that premier tournaments include one player ranked in the top six and two in the top 10. This year’s field includes only one top-10 player: Vera Zvonareva.
But according to five-time grand slam winner Marina Hingis, women’s tennis as a whole is undergoing a change that further hinders name recognition. At the moment, the WTA lacks what she called “true grand slam champions.”
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