RUSSIAN STAR LIKHOVTSEVA RETURNS TO DFS CLASSIC
Word number 17, Elena Likhovtseva announced today she will
play in the 25th DFS Classic at the Edgbaston Priory Club
in Birmingham 10-18 June 2006
The nine year veteran Russian Fed Cup player was due to play
last year but withdrew with an injury after reaching the semi
final of the French Open a week prior. She will return for
the sixth time to the Priory Club and will hope to improve
on her two quarterfinals she reached in previous visits back
in 1998 and 2001.
Having won an impressive 26 doubles titles including one
in Birmingham in 2001, she has also obtained a career high
doubles ranking of three in the world. Likhovtseva, who is
no slouch on the singles court either, has also claimed three
singles WTA Tour titles and has consistently been in the top
50 over the last decade.
2005 was her best season to date, highlighted by her performance
at the French Open, the four doubles titles she picked up
and her best year-end ranking of 17. She also surpassed the
five million dollar mark in career earnings.
Likhovtseva said: “I committed to play to the tournament
this year, and I really like to play the tournaments in the
UK and Birmingham is the first tournament on grass after the
clay court season.”
“The grass courts are very unique as they are part
of the long tennis history and it is always a pleasure to
play at Wimbledon, play on grass and to play at Birmingham.
I know they try very hard all the time and we always feel
welcome and it is the one tournament I am looking forward
to.”
She added about the city: “They have the great shopping
malls, I think the largest in UK, if it is nice weather I
like to walk around and they also have the canals, in a way
it is a unique city.”
The DFS Classic will be played at the Edgbaston Priory Club,
June 10-18 2006 with tickets currently on sale via the box
office on 0870 909 3015. This year’s qualifying event
will run between Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th June 2006 with
the main draw played between 12th and 18th June.
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