Tuesday, 11 October 2005

Nadia Petrova and Nicole Vaidisova
earn Top Seeds in Bangkok

Talented Russian Nadia Petrova and Czech teenager Nicole Vaidisova headline at the 2005 Thailand Open. This is a brand new $170,000 Tier III event on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour and it is held this week in Bangkok.

Nadia Petrova, who has been a Top 10 fixture on the Tour this year, will be the top seed in Bangkok. The 23-year-old Russian has had an incredibly consistent season, reaching at least the quarterfinals in 14 of 20 events, including a runner-up finish at Berlin, as well as reaching the semi-finals at Paris (Indoors), Amelia Island and Roland Garros. She begins her quest for a first career Tour singles title in the first round against the Spaniard Nuria Llagostera Vives, who captured her career-first Tour singles title earlier this year at the Tier IV clay court event in Rabat.

Nicole Vaidisova, who is one of the Tour's most promising future stars, is the No.2 seed this week. After recently reaching a Grand Slam fourth round for the first time at the US Open, where she lost a close two-setter to Nadia Petrova, the Czech teenager has gone on to win10 straight matches in collecting her third and fourth career Tour singles titles at Seoul and Tokyo (Japan Open) in the last two weeks. Nicole Vaidisova will begin her week in the first round against American Abigail Spears.

The seeds this week are Argentinian Gisela Dulko (No.3), Japan's Shinobu Asagoe (No.4), Indian sensation Sania Mirza (No.5), Spanish veteran Conchita Martinez (No.6), Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli (No.7) and Israeli teenager Shahar Peer (No.8). Watch out for unseeded players Tamarine Tanasugarn from Thailand, who will surely be boosted by the home crowd, and current doubles world No.1 Virginia Ruano Pascual, who could play Dulko in the second round.

The winner of the inaugural Thailand Open will take home $30,500, while the runner-up pockets $16,400.

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