In Calgary, a challenger tournament will feature some well-known tennis players, including Sabine Lisicki and Kei Nishikori, who will both be making their comebacks.
The former Wimbledon finalist made her comeback earlier this year and played a couple of strong matches on grass. The news about Lisicki participating in the event first surfaced on Wednesday and tournament director Da Costa released a statement along the news.
“We are thrilled,” said Danny Da Costa, tournament director “Sabine is an international star and one of the most recognizable female tennis players in the world. To have her with us this year in our inaugural women’s event is fantastic.”
Lisicki added:
“I’ve heard a lot of great things about Calgary and look forward to coming for the first time. People in Canada are always nice, and the crowd at tournaments is amazing, which makes it fun to play.”
Nishikori was the first player to confirm his participation at the event as he announced the news earlier this week. The Japanese player hasn't played since October last year and he will be looking to get some match practice before the season ends.
Da Costa commented on his participation as well: "We are fortunate to have him with us in Calgary. Kei is returning to the tour in the next few weeks, and he is making Calgary one of his first events since surgery. Nishikori is a baseliner. He is very fast and extremely talented. He is also a global star."