Angelique Kerber, the No. 6 women's player in the world, and No. 8 Sara Errani have become the first two Top-10 players to commit to the 2013 New Haven Open at Yale presented by First Niagra. The WTA event—part of the U.S. Open Series—will be played Aug. 16-24 at the Connecticut Tennis Center in New Haven.
In 2011, Kerber stormed onto the tennis stage with a surprise run to the US Open semifinals, and has since solidified her place among the top-ranked players in the world. In 2012, she captured her first two WTA titles in Paris and Copenhagen. The 25-year-old German will be making her New Haven debut.
Errani also had a break-out year in 2012 when she reached the Australian Open quarterfinals, the French Open finals, and the U.S. Open semis—in addition to copping four individual WTA titles. In addition, the 25-year-old Italian is also half of the best doubles team in the world, partnering with countrywoman Roberta Vinci to win three out of the last four Grand Slams. Having reached the semis in New Haven last year, Errani will be making her seventh straight appearance in the Nutmeg State.
“Announcing two top 10 players six months before the start of the 2013 New Haven Open is a testament to our consistently strong player fields from year to year,” boasted tournament director Anne Worcester. “Both are sure to be crowd favorites in 2013.”
Worcester added that this year fans will be closer to the action than ever before. No tickets will be sold in the upper tier. Rather, all seating will be consolidated into the Box Ring (the lower rung of the stadium).
“We are excited to bring fans closer to the action than ever before in the 15-year history of the New Haven Open,” continued Worcester. “This will provide all our guests with their very own personal box seat in the box ring and an even more intimate tennis-watching experience—all of which will enhance the buzz and electricity in the entire Stadium.”
Last year, Petra Kvitova broke the reign of Caroline Wozniacki, the four-time defending champ in the Elm City. Princess Caroline injured her knee in her 6-2, 6-1 quarterfinal win over Slovak beauty Dominika Cibulková before being forced to retire after dropping the first set, 7-5, to 25-year-old Russian Maria Kirilenko in the semis. The Great Dane entered the event last year hoping to join the pantheon of women's tennis: Only Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf and Chris Evert—Hall of Famers, all—have managed to win five consecutive championships at the same event.
Daily tickets starting at $24, and all ticket packages—including the After Hours, the Pick Four Flex and the Weekender, are now on sale. For more information, visit www.newhavenopen.com or call 1-855-464-8366. Updates and will be posted on Facebook & Twitter (@newhavenopen). The women's-only event will be televised nationally and worldwide on ESPN2.
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