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Former Cup Finalists Elena Dementieva and Dinara Safina enter 35th Anniversary Event

CHARLESTON, SC –- The excitement of the Family Circle Cup’s 35th Anniversary Celebration continues to build as two marquis players, World No. 10 Elena Dementieva and World No. 15 Dinara Safina, have officially entered this year’s historic tournament. Russians Dementieva and Safina are both former Family Circle Cup finalists, and each has a wealth of experience at this event. Dementieva and Safina join a star-studded player field boasting Family Circle Cup former champions and finalists, as well as six of the Top 10 players in the world, all set to compete April 12th-20th, 2008 at the Family Circle Tennis Center in Charleston, South Carolina.

“Elena Dementieva and Dinara Safina are fierce competitors who have showcased their amazing talents in front of our fans, during the finals, at the pinnacle of the Family Circle Cup,” commented Robin Reynolds, Family Circle Cup Tournament Director. “These women add a tremendous amount of depth to a world class player field headed to Charleston for our 35th anniversary celebration.”

Elena Dementieva, a twenty-six year old 5’11” veteran of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, posted consistently solid results throughout 2007, including titles at Istanbul and Moscow, which secured her eighth straight Top 20 season and a year-end World No. 11 ranking. She continued that success into 2008 with a return to the Top 10 after a series of successful finishes including a fourth round appearance at the Australian Open, semifinal showing at the Paris Indoors, and her ninth career singles title at Tier II Dubai. These events helped earn Dementieva over $350,000 in prize money and a 10-3 record thus far in 2008 as she recently surpassed 430 singles victories and $9 million in career earnings. As of this week, she has spent 198 career weeks ranked inside the Top 10.

Looking to continue her success in Charleston, Dementieva returns to this event with a wealth of experience and boasting a 10-5 record at the Family Circle Cup that includes a run to the finals of the 2005 tournament where she faced Justine Henin in a closely contested match.

Dinara Safina, a twenty-one year old 5’11½” rising star on the Sony Ericson WTA Tour, posted very respectable results in 2007 including fourth round Grand Slam appearances at Roland Garros and the US Open. Safina maintained a Top 20 ranking for the past three years and has made impressive strides coming into the 2008 season where she has reached the quarterfinals and won the doubles title at Gold Coast, participated in Russia’s win over Israel in Fed Cup action, advanced to the third round at Tier I Doha, and surpassed 230 singles victories and $3 million in career earnings.

A fitting addition to this year’s 35th anniversary celebration, 2007 Family Circle Cup finalist Dinara Safina is making her third consecutive showing at this event where she holds a 6-2 singles record that includes a quarterfinal appearance in 2006. Safina’s strong results make her an obvious contender at this year’s Family Circle Cup.

The 2008 Family Circle Cup will be held April 12th-20th at the Family Circle Tennis Center in Charleston, South Carolina. The Family Circle Tennis Center is a public facility owned by the City of Charleston and operated by Family Circle Magazine that hosts a variety of events including concerts, festivals, tennis events and other special activities throughout the year. With over 21 million readers, Family Circle is one of the most widely read monthly magazines in America and is one of 14 leading subscription magazines owned by Meredith Corporation. The Tennis Center features a 10,200 seat stadium, a Grand Lawn, 17 tennis courts lighted for night play, a racquet club featuring a full service Pro Shop, and locker room facilities. Ticket packages, individual session tickets, business hospitality options, and sponsorship opportunities are now available. For more information on the Family Circle Cup or Tennis Center, call (843) 856-7900 or visit www.familycirclecup.com.

Posted on March 5, 2008
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