Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova First Players to Qualify for BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore Presented by SC Global

ST PETERSBURG, Florida, September 12, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

Season-long Road to Singapore enters final weeks as player field takes shape 

The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) announced today that World No. 1 and US Open champion, Serena Williams, and World No. 4, Maria Sharapova, have qualified for the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global, staged at the Singapore SportsHub from October 17-26.

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"The WTA Finals is the ultimate goal of the season and I am excited to be back for another year and defend my title," said Williams.  "I am looking forward to going to Singapore and competing against the best players in the world."  The 32-year-old American is the current WTA World No.1; Williams has held the top ranking since February 18, 2013.

Set to return to the WTA Finals for the ninth time in her career (2001-02, 2004, 2007-09, 2012-14), Williams has raised the Billie Jean King Trophy in her last three WTA Finals appearances (2009, 2012-13) and on her debut in 2001. She also boasts two runner-up finishes (2002, 2004).

27-year-old Russian, Maria Sharapova, won three titles this year, highlighted by a stellar clay-court season in which she posted a 19-1 match record en route to titles at the Porsche Grand Prix (Stuttgart), Mutua Madrid Open and Roland Garros, her fifth career Grand Slam title. This season marks the 12th consecutive year that Sharapova has won at least one singles title, a streak that dates back to 2003 and currently stands as the fourth best in WTA history. She is set to return to the WTA Finals for the first time since 2012, and is a former champion, having won the event on her debut in 2004 and finished runner-up in 2007 and 2012.

"I am really excited to qualify for the WTA Finals and to bring the best in women's tennis to Singapore," said Sharapova.

The 2014 WTA Finals will feature the Top 8 singles players competing in a round-robin event. For the latest Road to Singapore Leaderboard as of Monday, September 8, visit http://wtatennis.com.

For more information, log on to the WTA Finals website http://www.WTAFinals.com, Twitter (@WTAFinalsSG) and Facebook (facebook.com/WTAFinalsSG). 

General public tickets can be purchased through Sports Hub Tix wtafinals.sportshubtix.sg.