WTA Gold Coast Begins 2005 Tennis Year Sunday with Petrova, Schnyder

Posted on January 1, 2005

The Uncle Toby's Hardcourts kicks off the 2005 professional tennis season with an unusual Sunday start on the Gold Coast of Australia, but without a Top 10 player in the field.

Last year's runner-up, No. 12-ranked Russian Nadia Petrova, heads the field featuring fellow seeds Patty "Handshake" Schnyder, 2004 champion Ai Sugiyama, Karolina "The Spreminator" Sprem, Silvia Farina Elia, Nathalie Dechy, Elena Likhovtseva, and Maggie Maleeva.

First-round encounters of interest include (1) Petrova vs. Chinese comer Jie Zheng, (4) The Spreminator vs. Aussie favorite Sam Stosur, (WC) Jaslyn "Little Sis" Hewitt vs. Klara "Kouky" Koukalova, and (3) Sugiyama vs. Dinara "Little Sis" Safina (winner to likely face 16-year-old Tatiana "Hot Pants" Golovin).

In addition to Hewitt, another wildcard went to Tiffany Welford of Australia.

Returning champs in the field are Sugiyama (2004, '98), Dechy (2003), Schnyder (1999), and Likhovtseva (1997). In last year's final the top-seeded Sugiyama came back from a 1-6 first-set loss to defeat the No. 2-seeded Petrova 1-6, 6-1, 6-4.

On court Sunday are Foretz vs. Farina Elia, Benesova vs. Welford, Dechy vs. Pennetta, Fedak vs. Maleeva, Denisa "Hanging" Chladkova vs. Beltrame, and N.Li vs. Garbin.