There were six players in the world top twenty at this tier-two WTA tournament (Jelena Jankovic, Venus and Serena Williams, Patty Schnyder, Agnes Szavay and Sybille Bammer). The prize money was 600,000 US dollars and it was the biggest women's tennis event not just in India but the whole of South and South East Asia. Players in their absolute professional peak were visiting. The only other time it had happened in Bangalore was 23 years ago, in 1985, when the formidable Swedish line-up with Mats Wilander, Stefan Edberg and Anders Jarryd had flown down to play a Davis Cup quarter finals against India.(When Bjorn Borg visited Bangalore a few years ago for an exhibition match, he was well past his prime.)