The Hong Kong Tennis Classic (formerly known as the JB Group Classic and the Watsons Water Champions Challenge) is a women's exhibition tennis tournament held (with temporary stands) in Victoria Park, Hong Kong, in the first week of January. It is a warm-up tournament for the Australian Open.

Formerly, the tournament was played under a more traditional format, with 8 players invited to participate, who would play against each other in a round robin format (with two groups of 4 players), with the top two players from each group progressing to the final. However, in 2009, the tournament switched to a group format, with four Zonal groups of three players; Team Americas, Team Asia-Pacific, Team Europe and Team Russia. Two teams play against each other in a semifinal, with three singles ties (amongst the three players) and 1 doubles tie. The two winning teams progress to the Gold Group final, playing for 1st and 2nd, whilst the losing teams progress to the Silver Group final, playing off for 3rd and 4th.

Past finals

Year Champion Runner-up Score
2011 Team Russia
Russia Vera Zvonareva
Russia Maria Kirilenko
Russia Yevgeny Kafelnikov		 Team Europe
Denmark Caroline Wozniacki
France Aravane Rezaï
Sweden Stefan Edberg		 3–1 (4 ties played)
2010 Team Russia
Russia Maria Sharapova
Russia Vera Zvonareva
Russia Yevgeny Kafelnikov		 Team Europe
Denmark Caroline Wozniacki
Belarus Victoria Azarenka
Sweden Stefan Edberg		 2–1 (3 ties played)
2009 Team Americas
United States Venus Williams
Argentina Gisela Dulko
United States Coco Vandeweghe		 Team Russia
Russia Vera Zvonareva
Russia Anna Chakvetadze
Russia Alexandra Panova		 3–1 (4 ties played)
2008 United States Venus Williams Russia Maria Sharapova 6–4, 6–3
2007 Belgium Kim Clijsters Russia Maria Sharapova 6–3, 7–6(10–8)
2006 Belgium Kim Clijsters United States Lindsay Davenport 6–3, 7–5
2005 Russia Elena Dementieva United States Venus Williams 6–3, 6–2
2004 United States Venus Williams Russia Maria Sharapova 7–5, 6–3
2003 United States Monica Seles United States Chanda Rubin 5–7, 6–1, 6–2
2002 United States Jennifer Capriati Russia Elena Dementieva 1–6, 6–4, 6–4
2001 Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Jelena Dokić Russia Anna Kournikova 7–6(7–3), 6–3
2000 United States Jennifer Capriati Switzerland Martina Hingis 7–6, 4–6, 6–3
1999 United States Venus Williams Germany Steffi Graf 2–2 retired

See also

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