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Ladies Day charity to benefit from SA Tennis Open

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Ladies Day charity to benefit from SA Tennis Open

Ladies Day is a popular concept at tennis tournaments around the world and this year's SA Tennis Open, to be played at Montecasino in Johannesburg from 1 to 7 February, will be no exception. The big winner on the day will be charity.

Presented by Dimension Data, Ladies Day will take place on 3 February, with all proceeds going to the Starfish Greathearts Foundation. An international development charity, its aim is to bring life, hope and opportunity to children who have been orphaned and made vulnerable by HIV/Aids.

A fun-filled day of tennis, entertainment, fashion and prizes is promised for Ladies Day and those attending will also be treated to a delicious brunch on arrival and high tea at 3pm.
'Think Wimbledon'

Ladies are encouraged to "think Wimbledon" and dress glamorously, including some elegant hats. There will be prizes for the best-dressed lady, as well as the lady with the best hat. Prize giving will take place on centre court between matches.

From 10am in the Hospitality Tent at Montecasino, the ladies will not only be able to watch some of the world's leading tennis players in action, they will also have an opportunity to meet some of them.

Just who they get to meet will depend on the players' schedules, but with the likes of Spanish pin-up boy David Ferrer, and Frenchmen Gael Monfils and Jeremy Chardy, who has already admitted his eagerness to become an actor, in action, it is an attractive opportunity.
The Starfish Greathearts Foundation

The cost is R300 per person with all the funds going directly to the Starfish Greathearts Foundation.

Starfish seeks to inspire individuals around the world to take positive action against the tragedy of children orphaned or made vulnerable by the crisis. In the last seven years, thousands of people across the globe have embraced the Starfish vision, contributing to the community-based care that is now providing for 36 036 children in South Africa.

"While we are able to enjoy ourselves, we know that this is a day with a purpose and that is to benefit the Starfish Foundation," says event organiser Edith Venter. "I would like to acknowledge the amazing work that Dimension Data does in this regard and thank them for making this day a reality."
Field

Among the players joining Ferrer, Monfils, and Chardy in the SA Open field will be Feliciano Lopez and Nicolas Kiefer.

Monfils, at number 12 in the world rankings, is the highest ranked player in the field.

Ferrer, at number 18, has ranked as high as fourth in the world during his career, a feat he shares with Kiefer. With seven titles, he has won more tournaments than any other player in the field. Kiefer has won six titles and finished runner-up on 11 occasions.

Chardy lost to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the SA Open final last year. It was the first final he had reached on the ATP Tour. Later in the year, he won his first title in the Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart.

Lopez has ranked as high as 20th in the world. He has one ATP title to his name, which he claimed in Vienna in 2004, but has also reached four other title-deciders.
Wildcards

South African Davis Cup players Rik de Voest and Izak van der Merwe have been granted wild cards into the main draw. A third wild card will be awarded to the winner of the SA Nationals tournament to be played at the German Club in Johannesburg from 23 to 29 January.

"The awarding of the wild cards is based on the players' current international ATP rankings," explained South African Tennis Association (SATA) chief executive Ian Smith.

With their world rankings at 238 and 283 respectively, De Voest and van der Merwe would have had to earn their places in the main draw by winning through the qualifying tournament.

"SATA announced earlier that they were committed to awarding the wild cards to South Africans which would help their continued progress, as well as affording them the opportunity to compete in front of their home crowd," continued Smith.

The decision to give the third wild card to the winner of the SA Nationals is a huge boost for that event, as it gives one player the chance to gain a place in a R3.5-million international tournament.

source SAinfo

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