Kremlin Cup tennis tournament begins in Moscow

The 14th Kremlin Cup tennis tournament is beginning on the courts of the Olympiisky sports centre on Monday, September 29.

Prize money of the Moscow tennis tournament stands at 2.3 million dollars. The winner of the women's Kremlin Cup will receive more than the winner among men - 189,000 and 142,000 dollars respectively. This is easy to explain: the women's tournament is more representative than the men's.

Precisely at the Kremlin Cup tournament, Yevgeny Kafelnikov who has won the greatest number of titles among Russian male tennis players scored five victories in a row - from 1997 to 2001. None of the now competing players can boast such an achievement - five consecutive triumphs at the same tournament.

Paul-Henri Mathieu from France, who was little known at that time, won the Moscow tournament last year. He is listed among the entrants now, too. However, it is not him but Kafelnikov or Safin who are seen as the top challengers for the laurels this time.

As for the women's tournament, it is known that six Russian entrants, among them winner of the recent Leipzig tournament Anastasia Myskina (she beat the world's Number Two Justine Hanin-Hardenne in the final), will participate in the Tier One competition of the Kremlin Cup-2003.

The finals of the Kremlin Cup-2003 will take place on October 5.