WTA countdown begins with 'high' hopes for tourney

A ceremony marking the 100-day countdown for the 2018 WTA Elite Trophy tournament was held at the Hengqin International Tennis Center on July 21 with stunt planes roaring overhead in anticipation of another successful event.

Scheduled Oct 30 to Nov 4, the Zhuhai tournament is the season finale of the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Tour. It features 12 of the world's top female players in four round-robin groups.

A hundred tennis fans were selected to attend the ceremony and were promised match tickets as well as an opportunity to enter a lucky draw.

Countdown ceremony

The annual event is sponsored by the Chinese Tennis Association and Zhuhai municipal government and is organized by Huafa Group. Held since 2015 in Zhuhai, it reportedly will move to another location after next year. Its presence in the city has led to a growing appreciation of the game while lucrative prize money has attracted many star players.

WTA CEO Steve Simon said the tournament has achieved tremendous success in the Asian-Pacific region over the past three years, a result he anticipates once again for the 2018 matches.

Stunt planes mark beginning of countdown [Photo by Li Jianshu / Zhuhai Daily]