World No. 10 Marion Bartoli Enters Charleston Family Circle Cup

March 24, 2011

Remainder of Player Field Set and Available at FamilyCircleCup.com

CHARLESTON, SC – March 24, 2011 – World No. 10 Marion Bartoli has officially entered the Family Circle Cup, and will make her seventh appearance in Charleston.  Bartoli, who reached the finals at Indian Wells last week, adds to a stellar player field now highlighted by four Top 10 players, and other WTA standouts.  She will join World No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki, World No. 5 Samantha Stosur, World No. 7 Jelena Jankovic, as well as Maria Sharapova, Melanie Oudin and Nadia Petrova on Daniel Island.  Marking the tournament’s 39th consecutive year, the Family Circle Cup is scheduled April 2-10, 2011 at the Family Circle Tennis Center in the Best Tennis Town in America, Charleston, SC.

The entire Family Circle Cup main draw player field is now set, and available at FamilyCircleCup.com.  Other notable players include Yanina Wickmayer and Maria Kirilenko, both making their Cup debut, Charleston fan-favorite Patty Schnyder, US Fed Cup star and 2009 Family Circle Cup doubles champion Bethanie Mattek-Sands, and former World No. 4 Jelena Dokic.

“It was thrilling to watch Marion Bartoli, a devoted Family Circle Cup player, compete so valiantly on a world stage last week, and now return to the Top 10.  She’s enjoyed a fabulous season so far, and our fans will be very excited to see her in Charleston,” said Eleanor Adams, Family Circle Cup Tournament Manager. “Our player field is outstanding this year, and the depth is sure to create many high quality match-ups throughout the draw.”

Throughout her 11-year WTA career, Bartoli has notched five singles titles, 387 singles victories, over $5.3 million in prize money and finished the last five seasons in the Top 20, including a 2010 finish at World No. 16.  She returned to the Top 10 as of the March 21st WTA rankings.

The 26-year-old from France has started her 2011 season off by reaching the semifinals of Brisbane and Doha, the quarterfinals of Hobart and Kuala Lumpur and the final of Indian Wells.

Bartoli has made six previous appearances in Charleston where she has accumulated $90,454 in prize money, a 7-6 record, and posted a semifinal result in 2009.

“I return to Charleston year after year because the fans are energetic and knowledgeable, the competition is always great, and the city is beautiful,” Bartoli said.  “I’m excited to continue my season with a chance to play for this historic title.”

Ticket packages, travel packages, individual session tickets, and Game, Set, Rock! Tennis. Amplified. presented by Dove® tickets are on-sale now at familycirclecup.com, where fans can also visit for continuous updates on player commitments as the event approaches.

The Family Circle Tennis Center

The Family Circle Tennis Center, home of the Family Circle Cup, is a public facility owned by the City of Charleston and operated by Meredith Corporation that also hosts a variety of additional events including concerts, festivals, tennis tournaments and other activities throughout the year.  Charleston, South Carolina bested 81 U.S. cities in being voted the Best Tennis Town in America in the United States Tennis Association’s (USTA) 2010 contest.  The Family Circle Cup receives four days of live broadcast domestically on ESPN2, and is viewed internationally by over 25 countries, featuring over 140 hours of live and delayed global broadcast time, reaching 4.33 million viewers worldwide.  With over 21 million readers, Family Circle is one of the most widely read monthly magazines in America and is one of 14 leading subscription magazines owned by Meredith Corporation. The Tennis Center features a 10,200 seat stadium, Grand Lawn, 17 tennis courts lighted for night play, Pro Shop, and a full service event management staff capable of handling all aspects of an event including ticketing, operations, sales, marketing, public relations, and food & beverage.  For tickets or more info, call (843) 856-7900 or visit familycirclecup.com.