Diamond Games

The Diamond Games (due to sponsorship known for the last time as BNP Paribas Fortis Diamond Games and before that Proximus Diamond Games, GDF-Suez Diamond Games and Thomas Cook Diamond Games) was a professional women's tennis tournament organised in Antwerp, Belgium. The tournament took place in the Sportpaleis, at the beginning of February.

Diamond Games
Tournament information
Founded2002–2009, 2015
LocationAntwerp
Belgium
VenueSportpaleis Merksem
CategoryTier II (2002–2009)
WTA Premier (2015)
SurfaceHard (indoors)
Draw28S / 16D
Prize money$731,000
WebsiteSport.be

In 2009, with the restructuring of the WTA Tour and the retirement of both Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin, the tournament lost its status of being a WTA Tour tournament and evolved into an annual exhibition tennis event before returning to the WTA calendar in 2015.[1] Later this year, however, WTA announced that in 2016, the Diamond Games would be replaced on the WTA calendar with a new tournament in St. Petersburg, Russia.[2]

The Diamond Games offers a trophy to any player who wins the singles three times in five years. In 2007, Amélie Mauresmo won a golden racquet decorated with diamonds.[3] A new trophy was unveiled in 2008, which featured a golden racquet and a ball, and was decorated with 2008 diamonds.[4]

Past finals

Singles
Year Champions Runners-up Score
↓  Tier II tournament  ↓
2002United States Venus WilliamsBelgium Justine Henin6–3, 5–7, 6–3
2003United States Venus Williams (2)Belgium Kim Clijsters6–2, 6–4
2004Belgium Kim ClijstersItaly Silvia Farina Elia6–3, 6–0
2005France Amélie MauresmoUnited States Venus Williams4–6, 7–5, 6–4
2006France Amélie Mauresmo (2)Belgium Kim Clijsters3–6, 6–3, 6–3
2007France Amélie Mauresmo (3)Belgium Kim Clijsters6–4, 7–6(7–4)
2008Belgium Justine HeninItaly Karin Knapp6–3, 6–3
2009–14Only exhibition tournaments held
↓  Premier tournament  ↓
2015Germany Andrea PetkovicSpain Carla Suárez NavarroWalkover

Doubles
Year Champions Runners-up Score
↓  Tier II tournament  ↓
2002Bulgaria Magdalena Maleeva
Switzerland Patty Schnyder		France Nathalie Dechy
United States Meilen Tu		6–3, 6–7(3–7), 6–3
2003Belgium Kim Clijsters
Japan Ai Sugiyama		France Nathalie Dechy
France Émilie Loit		6–2, 6–0
2004Zimbabwe Cara Black
Belgium Els Callens		Switzerland Myriam Casanova
Greece Eleni Daniilidou		6–2, 6–1
2005Zimbabwe Cara Black (2)
Belgium Els Callens (2)		Spain Anabel Medina
Russia Dinara Safina		3–6, 6–4, 6–4
2006Russia Dinara Safina
Slovenia Katarina Srebotnik		France Stéphanie Foretz
Netherlands Michaëlla Krajicek		6–1, 6–1
2007Zimbabwe Cara Black (2)
South Africa Liezel Huber		Russia Elena Likhovtseva
Russia Elena Vesnina		7–5, 4–6, 6–1
2008Zimbabwe Cara Black (4)
United States Liezel Huber (2)		Czech Republic Květa Peschke
Japan Ai Sugiyama		6–1, 6–3
2009–14Only exhibition tournaments held
↓  Premier tournament  ↓
2015Spain Anabel Medina Garrigues
Spain Arantxa Parra Santonja		Belgium An-Sophie Mestach
Belgium Alison Van Uytvanck		6–4, 3–6, [10–5]

See also

References
  1. "WTA Event In Antwerp Will Be Replaced With New Tournament In St. Petersburg". Vavel. Retrieved 2015-09-26.
  2. "WTA Heads to St. Petersburg in 2016". Women's Tennis Association (WTA). Retrieved 2015-09-26.
  3. "Amelie's diamond day". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2015-09-26.
  4. "The custom tennis racquet money can't buy". GiveMeSport. Retrieved 2015-09-26.
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