The Hong Kong Tennis Classic (formerly known as the JB Group Classic and the Watsons Water Champions Challenge) is a women's exhibition tennis tournament held (with temporary stands) in Victoria Park, Hong Kong, in the first week of January. It is a warm-up tournament for the Australian Open.
Formerly, the tournament was played under a more traditional format, with 8 players invited to participate, who would play against each other in a round robin format (with two groups of 4 players), with the top two players from each group progressing to the final. However, in 2009, the tournament switched to a group format, with four Zonal groups of three players; Team Americas, Team Asia-Pacific, Team Europe and Team Russia. Two teams play against each other in a semifinal, with three singles ties (amongst the three players) and 1 doubles tie. The two winning teams progress to the Gold Group final, playing for 1st and 2nd, whilst the losing teams progress to the Silver Group final, playing off for 3rd and 4th.
Past finals YearChampionRunner-up Score 2011 Team Russia Vera Zvonareva Maria Kirilenko Yevgeny Kafelnikov Team Europe Caroline Wozniacki Aravane Rezaï Stefan Edberg 3–1 (4 ties played) 2010 Team Russia Maria Sharapova Vera Zvonareva Yevgeny Kafelnikov Team Europe Caroline Wozniacki Victoria Azarenka Stefan Edberg 2–1 (3 ties played) 2009 Team Americas Venus Williams Gisela Dulko Coco Vandeweghe Team Russia Vera Zvonareva Anna Chakvetadze Alexandra Panova 3–1 (4 ties played) 2008 Venus Williams Maria Sharapova 6–4, 6–3 2007 Kim Clijsters Maria Sharapova 6–3, 7–6(10–8) 2006 Kim Clijsters Lindsay Davenport 6–3, 7–5 2005 Elena Dementieva Venus Williams 6–3, 6–2 2004 Venus Williams Maria Sharapova 7–5, 6–3 2003 Monica Seles Chanda Rubin 5–7, 6–1, 6–2 2002 Jennifer Capriati Elena Dementieva 1–6, 6–4, 6–4 2001 Jelena Dokić Anna Kournikova 7–6(7–3), 6–3 2000 Jennifer Capriati Martina Hingis 7–6, 4–6, 6–3 1999 Venus Williams Steffi Graf 2–2 retired
See also List of tennis tournaments Hong Kong Open (for men)
References
External links
Official website