By Liza Horan

Photos courtesy Sony Ericsson WTA Tour

Wimbledon—An occasion of world-class tennis, such as what's on display at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club this fortnight, brings fans, players, coaches, and journalists from all corners of the world.

It also brings tournament staff from other stops on the Grand Slam, ATP and Sony Ericsson WTA Tour circuits. Those representing events in China, Dubai and Australia were sipping champagne, tasting dumplings and savoring bites of Beef Wellington at a festive kick-off party at the Mandarin Oriental hotel on Hyde Park Monday night to mark the China Open in Beijing, starting in 2009, as one of four top events on the WTA Tour.

The event is one of four "Crown Jewels" anchoring the women's tour; the others being the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami, the Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells, and an as-yet-unnamed event in Madrid. These tournaments must offer a minimum of $4 million in prize money and competing there will be mandatory for players who qualify by ranking.

Before London-based Abbalicious took the stage to deliver "Dancing Queen" and "Mammia Mia" to the tennis crowd, officials from the Chinese government, the tournament and the WTA Tour addressed the crowd. Among the speakers were Wimbledon defending champ Zi Yan, who paired with compatriot Jie Zheng for the 2006 Ladies' Doubles trophy, and Mary Pierce, who hasn't competed this year due to her recovery from knee surgery in 2006. Both congratulated those that made Beijing a "Crown Jewel" event. Pierce, who spoke on behalf of the WTA Tour Player Council, presented one of her used and autographed Yonex racquets to Madame Lv Xiwen (right), who is Senior Consultant to the Beijing Government.

The French player (below left with Yan) later mentioned that she is "intrigued" by China and its culture and looks forward to visiting and, hopefully, playing there. Hong Kong is the closest she's been to the region.

The WTA Tour's awarding Beijing "Crown Jewel" status is significant and represents the city's commitment to pro tennis for the long term. Terms of the deal call for the WTA Tour to open an Asia-Pacific regional office there. And, as host of the Olympic Games in 2008, Beijing is throwing many resources behind its athletic facilities, as well as transportation and other infrastructure points. Further, the city of Beijing with the women's tour, together with the city of Shanghai and the ATP's Master Series event there, are exploring the possibility of combining events. A single men's and women's tournament would rotate annually between the two cities.

All of this strengthens China's role in pro tennis and provides a path to develop world-class players.

WTA Tour CEO Larry Scott (right) has said, "Our sport is positioned for explosive growth in the world most exciting market. The incredible and rapid success of the Chinese players on tour, combined with the popularity of our stars in China, the Chinese government's support for women's tennis and the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, make for a potent mix that will propel women's tennis to new heights in the Asia-Pacific region."

Kitty Hu of Sports Illustrated China, which launched in August 2006, agrees. "The Chinese government is putting more money in tennis development and has sent 12 or 13 young players to America for training," said Hu, noting that Michael Chang is coaching Shuai Peng, a 19-year-old who reached the third round of Ladies' Doubles here last year, at Wimbledon and regularly in the United States. "It's very popular in the big cities, but not in small towns. It's growing. The people need to see big stars."

The visibility of professional athletes is a boon to the sport's growth everywhere. There's a clear line of influence between Chinese stars of table tennis, badminton and now snooker to the recreational scene. "Chinese people are very good with small balls; they have technical skill more than muscle," says Hu, adding, with a hearty laugh, "Chinese women are better than men in the game of tennis!"

In its three years, the organizers have turned the China Open into a major event and won support from government, sponsors, pro players, and WTA Tour officials, not to mention fans.

Expect to see major coverage of the 2009 event and, in the coming years, more champions who hail from China.