Next month's China Open will feature the strongest line-up ever, organizers announced yesterday.

Four of the top 10 men and six of the top 10 women players will play on centre court at the Beijing International Tennis Centre.

Organizers have also slashed ticket prices to draw record crowds to the event, which is in its third year. Spectators can pay less than 50 yuan (US$7) to watch the early rounds and the finals tickets start from 240 yuan (US$ 30).

Defending champion Rafael Nadal of Spain, is heading the men's draw. The world No 2 has been in an amazing form this season, winning the French Open during a record winning streak on clay and then cruising into Wimbledon final where he was outpowered by world No 1 Roger Federer in four sets.

Boosting a 43-5 singles record so far this season, he is seen as an absolute title favourite and is very likely to add his second China Open title to his champion cabinet.

Word No 3 David Nalbandian is another heavyweight. The Argentine enjoyed good fortune in China, defeating Federer in a five-set thriller to win the year-ending Masters Cup in Shanghai last year.

Like Nalbandian, Russia's world No 5 Nikolay Davydenko will also make a trip to China after playing his first Masters Cup in 2005 Shanghai event. World No 8, Mario Ancic, a quarter-finalist in Roland Garros and All-England Club this year, will also make his first appearance in China. David Derrer of Spain (13) and Nicolas Kiefer of Germany (18) also join the Tier III ATP event.

In the women's competition, which is branded a Tier II event, current world No 1 Amelie Mauresmo of France will try to continue her delightful run this year which included winning the Australian Open and Wimbledon.

Belgium's world No 3 Justin Henin-Hardenne, bowing to Mauresmo in title matches Down Under and at the All-England Club, is expected to continue her rivalry with the Frenchwoman in China.

Russian veterans Nadia Petrova, No 5, Svetlana Kuznetsova, No 7 and Czech teenage sensation Nicole Vaidisova, No 9 and three-time Grand Slam winner Lindsay Davenport, No 10, are other world top 10 entries to the Beijing tournament.

Russia's Maria Kirilenko, No 21 and Germany's Anna-Lena Groenefeld, No 16, surprising title winner and runner-up last year, will also come back to try their fortune.

What will delight home fans most will be seeing how far the sizzling Chinese women's tennis players will march on home soil.

Li Na, world No 22 who became the first Chinese to break into Wimbledon quarter-finals last month, carries local hopes in the singles.

In 2004, she pushed finalist Kuznetnova to the edge, holding several match points before losing the chance to enter quarter-finals.

Zheng Jie, world No 35 and Peng Shuai (54) are also expected to better China's previous best performance. Peng and Sun Tiantian entered the quarter-finals last year.

In doubles play, reigning Australian Open and Wimbledon champions Zheng and Yan Zi will try to make up for their last year disappointment when they lost in the final.

"I am glad that China Open is enjoying such a rapid growth in only three years and is able to attract so many superstars," tournament organizers said yesterday.

However, there are still concerns over star players who used to struggle with frailty in China Open, which is held right after the US Open.

Last year, 2004 champion Serena Williams lost to Sun in an error-prone second round match as her sibling Venus Williams withdrew from the quarter-final match citing injury.

Another big shot Maria Sharapova also called it quits while playing the semi-final match with eventual winner Kirilenko.

Organizers said they were expecting a record crowd this year by lowing the ticket prices.

Spectators who buy finals tickets will be also be given four additional tickets for earlier round matches.

In bid to attract more locals to the sport, 5 yuan (US$0.7) tickets will be sold for International Tennis Federation (ITF) competitions, which will be run in conjunction with the main event. The matches will be played on courts surrounding Centre Court.

A special party will be held in this outer court area for tennis fans who want to test their skills.

(China Daily August 11, 2006)