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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 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Defunct tennis tournament | |
| Founded | 2002 |
| Abolished | 2015 |
| Location | Antwerp Belgium |
| Venue | Sportpaleis Merksem |
| Category | Tier II (2002–2009) WTA Premier (2015) |
| Surface | Hard (indoors) |
| Draw | 28S / 16D |
| Prize money | $731,000 |
| Website | Sport.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 that year, however, the 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 offered a trophy to any player who won 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
editSingles
edit| Year | Champions | Runners-up | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| ↓ Tier II tournament ↓ | |||
| 2002 | 6–3, 5–7, 6–3 | ||
| 2003 | 6–2, 6–4 | ||
| 2004 | 6–3, 6–0 | ||
| 2005 | 4–6, 7–5, 6–4 | ||
| 2006 | 3–6, 6–3, 6–3 | ||
| 2007 | 6–4, 7–6(7–4) | ||
| 2008 | 6–3, 6–3 | ||
| 2009–14 | Only exhibition tournaments held | ||
| ↓ Premier tournament ↓ | |||
| 2015 | Walkover | ||
Doubles
edit| Year | Champions | Runners-up | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| ↓ Tier II tournament ↓ | |||
| 2002 | 6–3, 6–7(3–7), 6–3 | ||
| 2003 | 6–2, 6–0 | ||
| 2004 | 6–2, 6–1 | ||
| 2005 | 3–6, 6–4, 6–4 | ||
| 2006 | 6–1, 6–1 | ||
| 2007 | 7–5, 4–6, 6–1 | ||
| 2008 | 6–1, 6–3 | ||
| 2009–14 | Only exhibition tournaments held | ||
| ↓ Premier tournament ↓ | |||
| 2015 | 6–4, 3–6, [10–5] | ||
See also
edit- Belgian Open – women's tournament (1987–2002)
- Brussels Open – women's tournament (2011–2013)
References
edit- ^ "WTA Event In Antwerp Will Be Replaced With New Tournament In St. Petersburg". Vavel. 18 August 2015. Retrieved 2015-09-26.
- ^ "WTA Heads to St. Petersburg in 2016". Women's Tennis Association (WTA). Retrieved 2015-09-26.
- ^ "Amelie's diamond day". The Sydney Morning Herald. 19 February 2007. Retrieved 2015-09-26.
- ^ "The custom tennis racquet money can't buy". GiveMeSport. Archived from the original on 2018-09-20. Retrieved 2015-09-26.