Moorilla Hobart International

Hobart International
WTA Tour
Location Hobart
 Australia
Venue Hobart International Tennis Centre
(1994–present)
Category International
Surface Hard / Outdoor
Draw 32M/32Q/16D
Prize Money $220,000
Website [1]

The Hobart International (currently known as the Moorilla Hobart International for sponsorship reasons) is a women's professional tennis tournament held at the Hobart International Tennis Centre in Hobart, Australia. Held since 1994, it forms a part of the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Tour and is classed as an International tournament (previously Tier IV). It is competed on outdoor hardcourts, and is held in the run-up to the first Grand Slam tournament of the year, the Australian Open.

The tournament is held at the Hobart International Tennis Centre. It is currently sponsored by Moorilla Wines, who hold the naming rights; it has previously been sponsored by the Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ).  The current singles champion is Jarmila Gajdosova of Australia.  The tournament has played host to a number of top players in the past, such as World #1's Kim Clijsters, Justine Henin and Serena Williams.  Other top players who have participated in the event include Australian Open and Wimbledon semifinalist Zheng Jie, and current/former Top 10 players Victoria Azarenka, Jelena Dokić, Alicia Molik, Flavia Pennetta, Chanda Rubin, Patty Schnyder, Samantha Stosur and Vera Zvonareva.

Contents

Redevelopment

Prior to the Australian Open changing its court surface, the tournament was played on Rebound Ace.  When the Australian Open changed to Plexicushion in 2008, all Australian Open Series tournaments were required to change their court surfaces to Plexicushion.  The Moorilla Hobart International, however, retained Rebound Ace.  Tennis Australia announced that in order for Hobart to keep its tournament, it was required to make significant improvements to the facility, including resurfacing the courts to Plexicushion and improving the seating facilities.  The Domain Tennis Centre resurfaced its hardcourts to Plexicushion in late 2008, in time for the 2009 tournament.

Midway through 2009, the Tasmanian Government announced a $2.25 million to fund redevelopments to the Domain Tennis Centre over 2009–10.[1] This announcement was to ensure that the Moorilla Hobart International tournament was retained. Prior to the 2010 singles final, representatives from Tennis Australia, along with tournament director Michael Roberts, announced that the future of the tournament would be secured through to 2013.[2]

In 2009, the Domain Tennis Centre began a series of redevelopments in order to ensure the tournament's future.[3] The first stage of these redevelopments included the demolition of the northern seating to make way for a permanent Corporate Stand and also a new Media Stand at the southern end of the Centre Court. This was completed prior to the 2010 tournament. The second stage of the redevelopment is to construct new permanent grandstands at the eastern and western ends of the court, increasing seating from around 1000 spectators to 2800.  The redevelopment is to be totally completed by the 2011 tournament.

Past finals

Singles

Year Champion Runner-up Score
2011 Jarmila Groth Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6–4, 6–3
2010 Alona Bondarenko Shahar Pe'er 6–2, 6–4
2009 Petra Kvitová Iveta Benešová 7–5, 6–1
2008 Eleni Daniilidou Vera Zvonareva walkover
2007 Anna Chakvetadze Vasilisa Bardina 6–3, 7–6(3)
2006 Michaëlla Krajicek Iveta Benešová 6–2, 6–1
2005 Zheng Jie Gisela Dulko 6–2, 6–0
2004 Amy Frazier Shinobu Asagoe 6–3, 6–3
2003 Alicia Molik Amy Frazier 6–2, 4–6, 6–4
2002 Martina Suchá Anabel Medina Garrigues 7–6(7), 6–1
2001 Rita Grande Jennifer Hopkins 0–6, 6–3, 6–3
2000 Kim Clijsters Chanda Rubin 2–6, 6–2, 6–2
1999 Chanda Rubin Rita Grande 6–2, 6–3
1998 Patty Schnyder Dominique van Roost 6–3, 6–2
1997 Dominique van Roost Marianne Werdel Witmeyer 6–3, 6–3
1996 Julie Halard-Decugis Mana Endo 6–1, 6–2
1995 Leila Meskhi Li Fang 6–2, 6–3
1994 Mana Endo Rachel McQuillan 6–1, 6–7(1), 6–4

Doubles

Year Champions Runners-up Score
2011 Sara Errani
Roberta Vinci		 Kateryna Bondarenko
Līga Dekmeijere		 6–3, 7–5
2010 Chuang Chia-jung
Květa Peschke		 Chan Yung-jan
Monica Niculescu		 3–6, 6–3, 10–7
2009 Gisela Dulko
  Flavia Pennetta		 Alona Bondarenko
  Kateryna Bondarenko		 6–2, 7–6(4)
2008 Anabel Medina Garrigues
Virginia Ruano Pascual		 Eleni Daniilidou
Jasmin Wöhr		 6–2, 6–4
2007 Elena Likhovtseva
Elena Vesnina		 Anabel Medina Garrigues
Virginia Ruano Pascual		 2–6, 6–1, 6–2
2006 Émilie Loit
Nicole Pratt		 Jill Craybas
Jelena Kostanić		 6–2, 6–1
2005 Yan Zi
Zheng Jie		 Anabel Medina Garrigues
Dinara Safina		 6–4, 7–5
2004 Shinobu Asagoe
Seiko Okamoto		 Els Callens
Barbara Schett		 2–6, 6–4, 6–3
2003 Cara Black
Elena Likhovtseva		 Barbara Schett
Patricia Wartusch		 7–5, 7–6(1)
2002 Tathiana Garbin
Rita Grande		 Catherine Barclay-Reitz
Christina Wheeler		 6–2, 7–6(3)
2001 Cara Black
Elena Likhovtseva		 Ruxandra Dragomir
Virginia Ruano Pascual		 6–4, 6–1
2000 Rita Grande
Émilie Loit		 Kim Clijsters
Alicia Molik		 6–2, 2–6, 6–3
1999 Mariaan de Swardt
Elena Tatarkova		 Alexia Dechaume
Émilie Loit		 6–2, 6–2
1998 Virginia Ruano Pascual
Paola Suárez		 Julie Halard-Decugis
Janette Husárová		 7–6(6), 6–3
1997 Naoko Kijimuta
Nana Miyagi		 Barbara Rittner
Dominique Monami		 6–3, 6–1
1996 Yayuk Basuki
Kyoko Nagatsuka		 Kerry-Anne Guse
Park Sung-hee		 7–6(7), 6–3
1995 Kyoko Nagatsuka
Ai Sugiyama		 Manon Bollegraf
Larisa Neiland		 2–6, 6–4, 6–2
1994 Linda Wild
Chanda Rubin		 Jenny Byrne
Rachel McQuillan		 7–5, 4–6, 7–6(1)

See also

References

  1. ^ "$6.5 Million for Sport and Recreation Infrastructure". tas.gov.au. 11 June 2009. http://www.development.tas.gov.au/economic/news_and_publications/news/2009/june/$6.5_million_for_sport_and_recreation_infrastructure. Retrieved 28 January 2010. 
  2. ^ "Event's future secured". themercury.com.au. 14 January 2010. http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2010/01/14/121575_sport-news.html. Retrieved 28 January 2010. 
  3. ^ "Development begins at the Domain Tennis Centre". hobartintenrational.com.au. 24 August 2009. http://www.hobartinternational.com.au/2009/08/development-begins-at-the-domain-tennis-centre. Retrieved 28 January 2010. 

External links

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