On The Line is pleased to announce that we will be On The Spot at Scottsdale this year for the inaugural State Farm Women's Tennis Classic.

The State Farm Women's Tennis Classic is off to a fine start already as, of this writing, 17 of the Top 20 WTA players will be competing for the Scottsdale title. While the Tier II event boasted an impressive field of Lindsay Davenport, Venus Williams, Mary Pierce, Monica Seles, and Jennifer Capriati from the start, the promoters were blessed with the high-profile additions of Martina Hingis and Anna Kournikova over the past several weeks. Just in case you are curious, the only Top 20 players currently not committed to the tournament are Serena Williams, Nathalie Tauziat, and Arantxa Sanchez Vicario.

So why such a strong field? Well, the event is managed by sports (and tennis) agency powerhouse, IMG, however the top three reasons may be best summed up as the proverbial "location, location, location." The event will be taking place the week of February 28th in Scottsdale, Arizona. While many of you may still be shivering in the cold and shoveling snow, the "Valley of the Sun" will start experiencing daytime high in the 80's (with lows perhaps dipping to the 50's) for first US outdoor tournament of the year. If the weather was not enough, the tournament site is the five-star Fairmont Scottsdale Princess. The players will be able to walk to the courts from their rooms, take a dip in the Olympic-sized plus pool, and enjoy the many gourmet restaurants on site. Not unlike the field usually drawn at the WTA Tour San Diego stop (at the La Costa Resort & Spa), the players are certainly acknowledging their love of the resort life and the amenities that come with it. Additionally, with a similar climate and playing conditions, Scottsdale is a relatively quick commute to the prestigious Tier I Indian Wells event the following week.

Even without the drawsheet being complete, the State Farm Women's Tennis Classic is already filled with intriguing story lines. The first is the ever-growing rivalry between the top seeds. Davenport is closing in on Hingis for the #1 ranking and another victory over the "Swiss Miss" could set the stage for the Californian to regain the top spot. In an unlikely confession after the Australian Open, Hingis appears to be intimidated by Davenport's game. A win would perhaps re-instill some confidence going into computer point-rich Indian Wells and Key Biscayne events. Both ladies will be keeping an eye on the draw to see which side Venus Williams falls. When either Williams sister is not winning tournaments, they appear to be effectively tiring out their opponent for the finals. Despite not having played a match since November (though she is set to make her 2000 debut in Oklahoma City the prior week), Williams will not be a desirable opponent for either Hingis or Davenport.

Another player who we have not seen much of lately is also scheduled to make her 2000 season debut at Scottsdale. Monica Seles' right foot injury has sidelined her since September of last year. The non-activity has caused the former #1 to fall to #13 in the rankings. With an "injury seeding" highly unlikely and the strength of the draw, Seles will fall into an uncharacteristic role of "dangerous floater." What may have been considered a Grand Slam semifinal or final match-up only a year or two ago may well be a 2nd round match for Seles at Scottsdale. Also "floating" in the draw is the rejuvenated Jennifer Capriati who will make her first tournament appearance since her run to the semifinals at the Australian Open. Anna Kournikova will be in pursuit of her elusive first tournament title. In an interesting turn of events, Kournikova dropped Oklahoma City from her tournament schedule in favor of Scottsdale. As a #2 seed (with a potentially rusty top-seeded Venus Williams), the Russian's chances of hoisting a trophy seemed to favor Oklahoma City. But perhaps more ranking points (Kournikova is currently at a career high #9 ranking) and stiffer competition took priority. But then again, Scottsdale is a good place to work on one's tan as well!

With a qualifying draw of the quality of a Tier III main draw, the competition should be intense even before the first main draw ball is served. The tournament officials will also have a rough decision handing out the three main draw wildcards. My guess is that two of them may go to Alexandra Stevenson (publicized as participating in the tournament but currently not ranked high enough for direct entry into the main draw) and to Scottsdale resident, Meghann Shaughnessy.

Look for reports from the State Farm Women's Tennis Classic beginning the week of February 28th and a preview of the ATP's Scottsdale stop, the Franklin Templeton Tennis Classic, coming soon.