Diamond Games

The Diamond Games (sponsored in 2015 as BNP Paribas Fortis Diamond Games and formerly known as Proximus Diamond Games, GDF-Suez Diamond Games and Thomas Cook Diamond Games) was a professional women's tennis tournament organised in Antwerp, Belgium. The tournament took place in the Sportpaleis, at the beginning of February.

Diamond Games
Tournament information
Founded2002–2009, 2015
LocationAntwerp
Belgium
VenueSportpaleis Merksem
CategoryTier II (2002–2009)
WTA Premier (2015)
SurfaceHard (indoors)
Draw28S / 16D
Prize money$731,000
WebsiteSport.be

In 2009, with the restructuring of the WTA tour and the retirement of both Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin, the tournament lost its status of being a WTA tour tournament and evolved into an annual exhibition tennis event before returning to the WTA calendar in 2015.[1] Later this year, however, WTA announced that in 2016, The Diamond Games would be replaced on the WTA Calendar with a new tournament in St. Petersburg, Russia.[2]

The Diamond Games offers a trophy to any player who wins the singles three times in five years. In 2007, Amélie Mauresmo won a golden racquet decorated with diamonds.[3] A new trophy was unveiled in 2008, which featured a golden racquet and a ball, and was decorated with 2008 diamonds.[4]

Past finals

Singles
Year Champions Runners-up Score
↓  Tier II tournament  ↓
2002 Venus Williams Justine Henin6–3, 5–7, 6–3
2003 Venus Williams (2) Kim Clijsters6–2, 6–4
2004 Kim Clijsters Silvia Farina Elia6–3, 6–0
2005 Amélie Mauresmo Venus Williams4–6, 7–5, 6–4
2006 Amélie Mauresmo (2) Kim Clijsters3–6, 6–3, 6–3
2007 Amélie Mauresmo (3) Kim Clijsters6–4, 7–6(7–4)
2008 Justine Henin Karin Knapp6–3, 6–3
2009–14Only exhibition tournaments held
↓  Premier tournament  ↓
2015 Andrea Petkovic Carla Suárez NavarroWalkover

Doubles
Year Champions Runners-up Score
↓  Tier II tournament  ↓
2002 Magdalena Maleeva
Patty Schnyder		 Nathalie Dechy
Meilen Tu		6–3, 6–7(3–7), 6–3
2003 Kim Clijsters
Ai Sugiyama		 Nathalie Dechy
Émilie Loit		6–2, 6–0
2004 Cara Black
Els Callens		 Myriam Casanova
Eleni Daniilidou		6–2, 6–1
2005 Cara Black (2)
Els Callens (2)		 Anabel Medina
Dinara Safina		3–6, 6–4, 6–4
2006 Dinara Safina
Katarina Srebotnik		 Stéphanie Foretz
Michaëlla Krajicek		6–1, 6–1
2007 Cara Black (2)
Liezel Huber		 Elena Likhovtseva
Elena Vesnina		7–5, 4–6, 6–1
2008 Cara Black (4)
Liezel Huber (2)		 Květa Peschke
Ai Sugiyama		6–1, 6–3
2009–14Only exhibition tournaments held
↓  Premier tournament  ↓
2015 Anabel Medina Garrigues
Arantxa Parra Santonja		 An-Sophie Mestach
Alison Van Uytvanck		6–4, 3–6, [10–5]

See also

References
  1. "WTA Event In Antwerp Will Be Replaced With New Tournament In St. Petersburg". Vavel. Retrieved 2015-09-26.
  2. "WTA Heads to St. Petersburg in 2016". Women's Tennis Association (WTA). Retrieved 2015-09-26.
  3. "Amelie's diamond day". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2015-09-26.
  4. "The custom tennis racquet money can't buy". GiveMeSport. Retrieved 2015-09-26.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.