BTW all this info is available on the tournament website.<br /><a href="http://www.toray-ppo.co.jp/pc/english/en_index.html" target="_blank">http://www.toray-ppo.co.jp/pc/english/en_index.html</a>
Here is an article on the commitments..
Hingis heads star-studded event
<br />Tokyo - Current and former world Tennis number ones Lindsay Davenport and Martina Hingis will spearhead the star-studded $1.224 million Pan Pacific Open tennis tournament which start from January 29.
Davenport and Hingis have shared the Tokyo indoor title in the past five years with the American winning it in 1998 and 2001 and the Swiss Miss winning in 1997, 1999 and 2000.
The winner of this event, which carries the top prize of $182 000, eventually ended the year as the world number one in the past five years.
"I am very excited to be returning to Tokyo for the Pan Pacific Open. I am looking forward to starting 2002 with some great results in Australia and then Tokyo," said Hingis in a statement.
The 21-year-old Swiss injured her right ankle during a match against Davenport in Filderstadt, Germany, in October to be out of action for the rest of the season and lost her number one spot.
Both Hingis and Davenport have made an entry into the Sydney International in January, prior to the first Grand Slam event at Melbourne.
The most dangerous rival to the top two is American Serena Williams, who has seven wins and two defeats against Davenport and five wins and six losses against Hingis. Davenport has a 14-11 win-loss record against Hingis.
"For me, the year 2002 is looking very promising, and my goal is to become the number one player," said Williams, 20.
"I am really looking forward to matches at the Pan Pacific Open, where I will be playing for the first time and where I am sure I can meet expectations of the Japanese tennis fans."
Other top contenders will include Jelena Dokic of Yugoslavia, the winner of the Italian Open, the Princess Cup in Tokyo and the Kremlin Cup in Moscow this season, and another former number one Monica Seles.
Other prominent players are Russian pin-up girl Anna Kournikova, Silvia Farina of Italy, Sydney Olympic silver medallist Elena Dementieva of Russia, and 1999 Wimbledon junior champion Iroda Tulyaganova of Uzbekistan. - Sapa-AFP
[ December 12, 2001: Message edited by: ajayares ]</p>
