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Bell Challenge 2009 Draws and Players

Tuesday September 15, 2009

Latest News on the Bell Challenge 2009 Tounament

Sabine Lisicki withdraw from the Bell Challenge 2009

Opening matches at the Bell Challenge 2009

Bell Challenge 2009 Draws and Players

Bell Challenge, presented by Banque Nationale

September 14 - 20, 2009 Quebec City, Canada

ORGANIZER: Quebec non-for-profit organization

VENUE : Université Laval’s PEPS
Tel.: (418) 653.8787 / Fax.: 418.525.2242

ATTENDANCE CAPACITY :  30,000 spectators

ATTENDANCE IN 2008 :   20 048spectators

FORMAT :

- Women’s singles and doubles
- Singles elimination
- Best of three sets (tie-break at 6 games everywhere)

NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS :

- Qualifications of 32 singles players
- Main draw of 30 players among the best in the world
- Qualifications of 8 teams in doubles
- Main draw of 16 teams in doubles.

STATUS : Tier III tournament of international level sanctioned by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA)

Tier: International

Surface: Carpet/Indoors

Tournament Director: Jacques Herisset

PRIZE MONEY : $220,000

Tournament Draws

Singles

Doubles

Singles Qualifying

MAIN DRAW PLAYERS

QUALIFICATIONS DRAW PLAYERS

History

The Bell Challenge was set up in 1993 as the result of a Tennis Canada initiative. It aimed at offering a high-quality sporting event of international level.

From its first edition, the event achieved remarkable success, encouraging the team at Tennis Canada to hold the tournament annually. However, with the presentation of the Du Maurier tournament and the construction of the Stadium by the same name in Montréal in 1995, a complete reorganization became necessary.

The Quebec team in close collaboration with the people at Tennis Canada then became responsible for the event. Thus from 1996 to 2004 the tournament was managed by dynamic business people of the Quebec area who strongly believed in the event and invested the amounts required to ensure its continuity.

After the 2004 edition, foreign investors made an offer to acquire the presentation dates of the Bell Challenge. This is when Mr. Jacques Tanguay, a Quebec businessman renowned for his involvement with the local sports scene, stepped in to keep this prestigious tournament in Quebec City. Thanks to his involvement along with of a group of other businessmen, the Bell Challenge was about to enter a new era. The organizing committee decided to move the tournament at Université Laval’s PEPS in order to provide it with larger scale infrastructures and more commodities for the players and public.

This decision paid off as the 2005 edition of the Bell Challenge was proclaimed « Best tournament in its category ». This award was presented at the prestigious gala « Stars for Stars » held at Miami, Florida, in front of over 1000 personalities and guests of professional tennis. Granted by the WTA players, this honour drew attention on Quebec City as the Bell Challenge was competing with thirty-two other large cities of the world for this title.

Must we mention the Bell Challenge is the only sporting event of international scale held every fall since 1993. It is unique and gives emphasis to Quebec City and more importantly the involvement of Bell, loyal partner since the very first edition in 1993. It emphasizes also the know-how of the local people who devote their time and energy to organize this event.

After now fifteen years the Bell Challenge has acquired a maturity and a renown which elevated it among the most prestigious events of Quebec and even Canada. It represents the country’s most important women’s international tennis tournament presented indoors.

Presentation

The international women’s tennis championship the Bell Challenge is sanctioned by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA). It receives each year players who compete at a world level as well as rising Quebec and Canadian elite athletes. The Bell Challenge is undoubtedly the most important indoor tennis happening in Canada and one of the world’s most prestigious women’s tennis tournaments in its category. Offering an exhilarating show to the public, promoting the Quebec know-how and most importantly giving a unique opportunity to the Quebec and Canadian athletes to enter the international scene are only a few of the objectives of the Bell Challenge. The women’s singles and doubles events are used to rank the players on the WTA tour. It is one of the thirteen tournaments with $220,000 in prize money.

Since its first occurrence in 1993 the Bell Challenge definitely won its spurs. The tournament received several honourable mentions demonstrating the quality of its organization:

• won « World’s best women’s tennis tournament » for eight years in the Tier III and IV category, an honour granted by the players of the professional WTA tour (1995 to 2000, 2004 and 2005). The Bell Challenge must compete with 20 to 30 large cities of the world for this title;
• won « International event of the year» at Gala Sports-Québec (2002);
• won « International event of the year par excellence » at the gala of the Fédération Québécoise de Tennis on four occasions (1996 1998 2000 2002);
• won « Sporting event of the year » at the Gala de l’Athlète’s Memoris d’Or evening (1996);
• finalist in the « International event» category at the Gala de l'athlète (2001 2002);
• finalist in the category «Quebec International Sports Award for sporting event » during the Quebec tourism award evening of the Office du tourisme et des congrès de Québec (2002);
• finalist in «International event of the year in Québec » at the Gala Sports-Québec (1998).

The Sony Ericsson WTA Tour is the world’s leading professional sport for women with more than 2,200 players representing 96 nations competing for more than $86 million in prize money at the Tour’s 51 events and four Grand Slams in 31 countries. More than 4.8 million people attended women’s tennis events in 2008 with millions more watching events on television networks around the world. The Sony Ericsson WTA Tour season concludes with the Sony Ericsson Championships – Doha 2009 in Doha, Qatar, from October 27-November 1, and the inaugural Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions in Bali, Indonesia from November 4-8.

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