Sabine Lisicki to Play in 2015 Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open

2013 Wimbledon finalist, Sabine Lisicki, will be one of the headline attractions at the 2015 Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open when she returns to defend her title at Victoria Park from 10-18 October.

Lisicki will be joined by 21-year-old French rising star Caroline Garcia, in the first wave of player confirmations by organisers Hong Kong Tennis Association (HKTA).

“We are extremely excited to welcome Sabine back to Hong Kong after her great success here in 2014. Last year she wowed local fans with her huge serve and power game. She was a very popular champion and her charisma was felt both on and off the court,” said Chris Lai, HKTA Chief Executive and Tournament Director. “She will be among a very competitive field and we can expect some high-quality tennis at Victoria Park. Sabine has expressed her excitement about returning to Asia’s world city to defend her title and enjoy all the sights and sounds Hong Kong has to offer.”

Lisicki and Garcia are the first marquee players to be confirmed for the second Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open after WTA tennis returned to the city last year for the first time since 1993, with Lisicki capturing the singles title.

The owner of four singles and four doubles WTA titles, Lisicki is known for her booming serve and grass court prowess, shooting to prominence at Wimbledon in 2011, where as a wildcard she defeated the reigning French Open Champion Li Na en route to the semi finals. At the 2013 Championships, she downed World No. 1 and defending champion Serena Williams to reach her first Grand Slam final, falling to Marion Bartoli. Lisicki holds the record for the fastest serve ever recorded by a female tennis player at 131 MPH, and in June this year broke the record for the most number of aces ever hit in a WTA match when she served 27 against Belinda Bencic at the Aegon Classic Birmingham.

World No. 36 Garcia has risen rapidly through the pro ranks, reaching a high of No. 25 earlier this year after recording back to back WTA singles finals in Acapulco & Monterrey. The French No.3 has captured one singles and two doubles WTA titles and has been named by many as one of the future greats of the sport.

Ticket prices range from HK$160 to HK$880 and there is an early bird discount of 30% on ticket sales from 21-31 July and an early bird discount of 20% from 1-31 August.

With Lisicki and Garcia leading a high-quality field in the 32-draw singles event, the organisers warned the public to buy their tickets early so as to get a chance to come up-close-and-personal with the star players.

Oscar Chow, Chairman of Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open Steering Committee, said, “The addition of Sabine and Caroline, who is a top up and coming talent exemplifies the depth of competition at this year’s tournament and our commitment to bring the most exciting players to Hong Kong. We are extremely grateful for the support from the Mega Events Fund and Prudential which has allowed us to attract a top quality field and we are looking forward to announcing more rising talents and fan favourites in the next couple of months. The Tournament is one of the top major sporting events in Hong Kong and one of the few major tennis events worldwide held in the heart of the city. It is our long term plan to build an event that aspires to be one of the most prestigious WTA International Series events on the calendar and synonymous with Asia’s world city.”