Sharapova set for WTA final,3 Chinese set for youth tourney

"I'm very excited to return to the WTA Finals for the eighth time in my career," said Sharapova. "I have had great success at the WTA Finals in the past and I can't wait to get back to Singapore and compete. The fans are incredible and I am looking forward to their support."

Meanwhile, promising female Chinese players Zhu Lin, Liu Fangzhou and Yang Zhaoxuan have made the candidate list for this year's Rising Star Invitational, a four-player mini tournament held as part of the WTA year-end final festival at the same venue of Singapore Sports Hub in late October.

Four WTA Rising Stars will compete in a round robin format in Singapore, with two players from Asia-Pacific and two representing the rest of the world. Each WTA Rising Star will go head-to-head, followed by a final match between the Top 2 contenders.

The three Chinese players will compete against other young talents from neighboring countries for the two direct berths representing the Asia-Pacific area decided by a fan vote, which is open from Sept 8 to Oct 2.

Fans could visit http://www.wtafinals.com to vote for their supporting young stars.

Finalists of the Rising Star Invitational will not only compete alongside with the world's top 8 stars, but also participate in clinics and community outreach programs throughout the Finals carnival.

Staged at the Singapore Sports Hub from Oct 23 - Nov 1 in partnership with World Sport Group (WSG), Singapore Tourism Board and Sport Singapore, the 2015 WTA Finals features the top 8 singles players competing for one of the most prestigious trophies in women's tennis, the Billie Jean King Trophy, while the top 8 doubles teams will compete for the Martina Navratilova WTA Finals Doubles Trophy. With a record $7 million in prize money on the line, the round-robin singles competition will be the highlight of a 10-day tennis festival that will also include the WTA Legends Classic, WTA Rising Stars Invitational and a WTA Future Stars event.

sunxiaochen@chinadaily.com.cn