Advantage Zhuhai as city gets in swing

With some of the world's best in town for the WTA Elite Trophy, the coastal region is serving up a myriad of racket-related fun

Zhuhai is firmly in the grip of tennis fever as the southern coastal city gets set to serve up a feast of world-class action and add to its growing reputation as a center for the sport.

With the fourth edition of the WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai just around the corner, the excitement of hosting some of the best female players on the planet has spread through the area, which is now connected to Hong Kong and Macao by the world's largest cross-sea bridge.

Organized by the State-owned Zhuhai Huafa Group, the six-day tournament, which opens on Oct 30, will feature 12 of the world's best women's singles players and six doubles pairs competing in round-robin group formats for the winner's 700 ranking points and a slice of the $2.35 million prize pool at Hengqin International Tennis Center.

But it's not just the likes of Garbine Muguruza, Caroline Garcia and Madison Keys that will be showing off their racket skills, with a series of promotional events - including a ball kids training camp, a regional college invitational tournament and the annual Greater Bay Juniors Tennis Championships - getting the area in the mood for the upcoming showpiece.

"The WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai is an exciting event and has proven to be a great success in the development of tennis within the region," said WTA CEO Steve Simon.

"We are confident that the WTA Elite Trophy will continue to grow and play an integral part in promoting tennis in Asia.'

Initiated last year in response to the government's call to enhance exchanges in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the cross-city championships involved 88 under-16 players and 22 coaches from 10 affiliations to compete in a team format in August at the same venue hosting the WTA tournament.

The bay area project, involving nine cities in Guangdong province alongside Hong Kong and Macao, is a regional cooperation initiative proposed by China's top leadership in early 2017.

Bruno Leoffler, a 15-year-old lefty representing Team Hong Kong, said the championships have provided him with a dream stage to perform on.

"To represent Hong Kong at international tournaments has been my dream over my nine years playing tennis. I am so happy I did it at least for a little while," he said after helping Hong Kong to a third-place finish behind Shenzhen and the victorious Team Dongguan.

Having built a sound reputation in its second year, organizers expect to expand the field of the championships next year.

"The influence of tennis is really spreading as we have received interest from outside of the bay area to get involved in the tournament," said Ji Ming, deputy general manager of Huafa Sports.

"We will further expand the scale of the tournament next year, providing more youth players with opportunities to compete and share the experience with each other."

Meanwhile, a college invitational in April, featuring men's and women's singles and team competitions, attracted 250 student and teacher players, 100 more than last year, from 16 institutions across Guangdong province, Hong Kong and Macao.

As reward for their efforts, the top three players in each competition will be able to meet with the stars of the Elite Trophy next week.

Encouraged by the invitational's success, organizers have brought tennis training clinics to 20 local elementary and high schools, as well as integrating the sport into the Zhuhai municipal government's mass fitness program.

Meanwhile, 36 lucky youngsters will see the Elite Trophy action up close after being chosen as ball kids following a two-month selection and training process this summer.

To make next week's action more affordable, organizers are offering cut-price early-bird ticket and discounts of up to 40 percent for repeat spectators and groups.

"We want all the people of Zhuhai to be able to come and watch some of the best tennis players in the world vying for the title," said tournament director Jose Miguel Garcia.

"For as little as 100 yuan ($14), spectators will have the opportunity to not only watch great matches, but also enjoy the all-in-one offer that will be available on-site, from live music to good food and plenty of activities for all ages."

Aside from enjoying the on-court thrills, fans will also be able to indulge their culinary senses at the venue, with the return of the Zhuhai Food Festival - this year promising to be bigger and better than ever.

German tennis legend Steffi Graf, the owner of 22 Grand Slam singles titles and the only player - male or female - to complete a golden slam (all four majors and Olympic gold in the same year), will continue to be the event's global ambassador, helping promote the game and the city of Zhuhai at multiple events.