Australasian Swing Gets Roadmap 2009 Rolling

The Sony Ericsson WTA Tour's new-look schedule is primed for a flying start in less than a month, when the Australian Open Series of events kicks off Down Under. True to the intent of the revitalised Roadmap 2009 calendar, the four lead-up events to the first Grand Slam of the year collectively boast arguably their strongest fields ever.  

The season commences on Sunday 4 January with the Brisbane International, one of several new combined women's and men's events on the calendar. Hosted by the just-completed Queensland Tennis Centre, a purpose-built, state-of-the-art facility on the banks of the Brisbane River, the tournament incorporates the Australian Women's Hardcourt title, most recently held at the Gold Coast, and the men's equivalent, which switches from its traditional home in Adelaide.

In addition to Li Na, who was victorious at the Gold Coast last January after a six month injury lay-off, and Belarusian sensation Victoria Azarenka, who was runner-up to the Chinese star, the Brisbane field boasts world No.5 and reigning French Open champion Ana Ivanovic, 2007 Wimbledon finalist Marion Bartoli, 2008 Australian Open semifinalist Daniela Hantuchova, former world No.1 Amelie Mauresmo, Maria Kirilenko and local favorite Samantha Stosur, among others. The singles main draw ranking cut-off is No.56, while the doubles field will be led by the undisputed top team in the world, Cara Black and Liezel Huber.

The same week, but on the other side of the Tasman Sea in Auckland, New Zealand, the ASB Classic will be headlined by Olympic gold medalist Elena Dementieva. The 27-year-old, who reached the semis at both Wimbledon and the US Open to finish 2008 with a career-high ranking of No.4, will be joined by fellow Russian Nadia Petrova, pressing for a return to the Top 10, and Danish teen Caroline Wozniacki, who captured the first three Tour titles of her career in 2008 - and indeed pushed Dementieva to the limit in the final at Luxembourg in October.

Katarina Srebotnik and Anabel Medina Garrigues will also start their 2009 campaigns at the International Series event on career high rankings of No.20 and No.22 respectively, as will world No.34 Aleksandra Wozniak. The field also includes Nicole Vaidisova and Shahar Peer, both of whom struggled in 2008 but remain full of promise, and local hope Marina Erakovic, who defeated Vera Zvonareva on her way to the semis last year and has since risen to No.60 in the world.

Week two of the calendar sees the staging of the first of the Tour's 20 Premier Series events, in Sydney. In one incarnation or another, the Medibank International has been going for more than a century, and as ever the event has attracted a top-flight field, with a direct-entry ranking cut-off of 40, including six of the Top 10.

Although defending champion Justine Henin won't be back, the starry line-up heading to the Sydney Olympic Park Tennis Centre includes Serena Williams, Dinara Safina, Dementieva, Sony Ericsson Championships finalist Zvonareva, 2008 Sydney runner-up Svetlana Kuznetsova and Agnieszka Radwanska, the highest ranked teenager on the Tour. Fellow phenoms Wozniacki, Azarenka, Alizé Cornet and Dominika Cibulkova will also be present, along with ever-popular Amélie Mauresmo, Hantuchova and Japanese veteran Ai Sugiyama.

Further south in Tasmania, the Moorilla Hobart International will boast the strongest line-up in its 16-year history, with three of the Top 20 and 17 of the Top 50 taking part. Leading the charge at the Domain Tennis Centre will be Italy's Flavia Pennetta, who enjoyed her best season to date to finish 2008 with a career-high ranking of No.13. Switzerland's Patty Schnyder, who won the title back in 1998 and celebrates her 30th birthday in December, will be the No.2 seed, while Anna Chakvetadze will be hoping her title run in 2007 will provide the right vibe for a strong start to the year as the No.3 seed.

The Hobart field also includes another former champion, Zheng Jie, who made a stunning comeback from injury in 2008 and finished the year with a ranking of No.25. Zheng made headlines at Wimbledon when she became the first Chinese player to reach the singles semifinals of a Grand Slam, and promises to be one of the most dangerous outsiders at the majors in 2009.

Hobart regular Alona Bondarenko is in the field for the seventh time, while tournament debutantes will include Hungary's Agnes Szavay and Shahar Peer. Canadian Wozniak, who won her first Tour title at Stanford last year, and Thai veteran Tamarine Tanasugarn, who beat Dinara Safina to win the Ordina Open in the Netherlands, will also compete, along with Vaidisova.