The İstanbul Cup is a tennis

Tennis

Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...

 tournament

Tournament

A tournament is a competition involving a relatively large number of competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:...

 held in İstanbul

Istanbul

Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...

, Turkey

Turkey

Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...

. Held since 2005, this WTA Tour

Women's Tennis Association

The Women's Tennis Association , founded in 1973 by Billie Jean King, is the principal organizing body of Women's Professional Tennis. It governs the WTA Tour which is the worldwide professional tennis tour for women. Its counterpart organization in the men's professional game is the Association of...

 event is a WTA International Tournaments

WTA International tournaments

The International Tournaments is the new category for tennis tournaments of Women's Tennis Association from the 2009 WTA Tour. Tournaments are replacing Tier III and Tier IV events...

 and is played on outdoor clay court

Clay court

A clay court is one of the four different types of tennis court. Clay courts are made of crushed shale, stone or brick. The red clay is slower than the green, or Har-Tru "American" clay. The French Open uses clay courts, making it unique among the Grand Slam tournaments.Clay courts are more common...

s. From 2009, it switched to outdoor hard courts. It closed after its 2010 edition, due to the WTA Tour Championships

WTA Tour Championships

The WTA Tour Championships is a tennis tournament played annually at the end of the season for the top-ranked players on the Women's Tennis Association tour. The month, city and number of players has changed since the first edition in 1972...

 moving to Istanbul for 2011-2013.

History

The first edition, held in 2005, was won by American Venus Williams

Venus Williams

Venus Ebony Starr Williams is an American professional tennis player who is a former World No. 1 and is ranked World No. 101 as of 10 October 2011 in singles and World No. 20 in doubles as of 2011. She has been ranked World No. 1 in singles by the Women's Tennis Association on three separate...

. In the final she beat the young Czech talent Nicole Vaidišová

Nicole Vaidišová

Nicole Vaidišová is a retired Czech tennis player.Vaidišová was an Australian Open and French Open semifinalist and also reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon. Vaidišová started playing tennis when she was six years old, enrolling to train at Nick Bollettieri's tennis academy in Bradenton,...

 in straight sets: 6–3, 6–2.

The following year the young Israeli player Shahar Pe'er

Shahar Pe'er

Shahar Pe'er is an Israeli professional tennis player. Her career-high singles ranking is World No. 11, which she achieved on January 31, 2011 ....

 beat Russian Anastasia Myskina

Anastasia Myskina

Anastasiya Andreyevna Myskina is a professional tennis player from Russia. She won the 2004 French Open singles title, becoming the first Russian female tennis player to win a Grand Slam main draw singles title. Subsequent to this victory she rose to number 3 on the WTA ranking, becoming the first...

 to win the Istanbul title.

Russian Elena Dementieva

Elena Dementieva

Elena Viatcheslavovna Dementieva is a retired Russian professional tennis player. Dementieva is most notable for winning the singles gold medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. She won 16 WTA singles titles and reached the finals of the 2004 French Open and 2004 US Open. Dementieva achieved a...

 won the 2007 event, leading Frenchwoman Aravane Rezaï

Aravane Rezaï

Aravane Rezaï is an Iranian-French tennis player born in Saint-Étienne, France to Iranian parents. She is the current French No. 5 in women's tennis. Rezaï took up tennis after a childhood stint as her older brother's ball girl...

 7–6(5), 3–0 before she retired, allowing Dementieva to win the title.

In 2008 Dementieva

Elena Dementieva

Elena Viatcheslavovna Dementieva is a retired Russian professional tennis player. Dementieva is most notable for winning the singles gold medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. She won 16 WTA singles titles and reached the finals of the 2004 French Open and 2004 US Open. Dementieva achieved a...

 failed to defend her title, losing in the final match to second-seeded Agnieszka Radwańska

Agnieszka Radwanska

Agnieszka Radwańska is a WTA Tour Polish tennis player.Her career high singles ranking is World No. 8, which she achieved on 22 February 2010. As of 24 October 2011, she is ranked World No. 8. In 2007, Radwańska became the first Polish player in history to claim a WTA Tour singles title when she...

 of Poland in straight sets.

In 2009 Vera Dushevina

Vera Dushevina

Vera Yevgenyevna Dushevina is a Russian professional female tennis player. She was born in Moscow but now resides in Khimki, Russia. In 2006, she privately amended the presentation of her surname so as to be more English language friendly, adopting Dushevina in place of Douchevina which is a...

 won her first WTA singles title with a straight sets victory in the final over Lucie Hradecká

Lucie Hradecká

Lucie Hradecká is a professional tennis player from the Czech Republic. In her career, Hradecká has won ten WTA doubles titles. This total includes the 2011 French Open, in which she won her first Grand Slam title.-Career:...

.

Singles

Year	Champion	Runner-up	Score
2005	Venus Williams Venus Williams Venus Ebony Starr Williams is an American professional tennis player who is a former World No. 1 and is ranked World No. 101 as of 10 October 2011 in singles and World No. 20 in doubles as of 2011. She has been ranked World No. 1 in singles by the Women's Tennis Association on three separate...	Nicole Vaidišová Nicole Vaidišová Nicole Vaidišová is a retired Czech tennis player.Vaidišová was an Australian Open and French Open semifinalist and also reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon. Vaidišová started playing tennis when she was six years old, enrolling to train at Nick Bollettieri's tennis academy in Bradenton,...	6–3, 6–2
2006	Shahar Pe'er Shahar Pe'er Shahar Pe'er is an Israeli professional tennis player. Her career-high singles ranking is World No. 11, which she achieved on January 31, 2011 ....	Anastasia Myskina Anastasia Myskina Anastasiya Andreyevna Myskina is a professional tennis player from Russia. She won the 2004 French Open singles title, becoming the first Russian female tennis player to win a Grand Slam main draw singles title. Subsequent to this victory she rose to number 3 on the WTA ranking, becoming the first...	1–6, 6–3, 7–6(3)
2007 2007 Istanbul Cup The 2007 Istanbul Cup is a WTA Tour tennis tournament played on May 19–26, 2007. Aravane Rezaï had a run of wins over Venus Williams and Maria Sharapova before going down in the final to Elena Dementieva.-Singles:# Maria Sharapova ...	Elena Dementieva Elena Dementieva Elena Viatcheslavovna Dementieva is a retired Russian professional tennis player. Dementieva is most notable for winning the singles gold medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. She won 16 WTA singles titles and reached the finals of the 2004 French Open and 2004 US Open. Dementieva achieved a...	Aravane Rezaï Aravane Rezaï Aravane Rezaï is an Iranian-French tennis player born in Saint-Étienne, France to Iranian parents. She is the current French No. 5 in women's tennis. Rezaï took up tennis after a childhood stint as her older brother's ball girl...	7–6(5), 3–0, retired
2008 2008 Istanbul Cup The 2008 İstanbul Cup was a tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts. It was the 4th edition of the İstanbul Cup, and was part of the Tier III Series of the 2008 WTA Tour. It took place in İstanbul, Turkey, from May 19 through May 24, 2008.-Singles:...	Agnieszka Radwańska Agnieszka Radwanska Agnieszka Radwańska is a WTA Tour Polish tennis player.Her career high singles ranking is World No. 8, which she achieved on 22 February 2010. As of 24 October 2011, she is ranked World No. 8. In 2007, Radwańska became the first Polish player in history to claim a WTA Tour singles title when she...	Elena Dementieva Elena Dementieva Elena Viatcheslavovna Dementieva is a retired Russian professional tennis player. Dementieva is most notable for winning the singles gold medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. She won 16 WTA singles titles and reached the finals of the 2004 French Open and 2004 US Open. Dementieva achieved a...	6–3, 6–2
2009 2009 İstanbul Cup The 2009 İstanbul Cup was a tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It was the fifth edition of the İstanbul Cup, and was part of the WTA International tournaments of the 2009 WTA Tour...	Vera Dushevina Vera Dushevina Vera Yevgenyevna Dushevina is a Russian professional female tennis player. She was born in Moscow but now resides in Khimki, Russia. In 2006, she privately amended the presentation of her surname so as to be more English language friendly, adopting Dushevina in place of Douchevina which is a...	Lucie Hradecká Lucie Hradecká Lucie Hradecká is a professional tennis player from the Czech Republic. In her career, Hradecká has won ten WTA doubles titles. This total includes the 2011 French Open, in which she won her first Grand Slam title.-Career:...	6–0, 6–1
2010 2010 İstanbul Cup The 2010 İstanbul Cup was a tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It was the 6th edition of the İstanbul Cup, and was part of the WTA International tournaments of the 2010 WTA Tour...	Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova Anastasia Sergeyevna Pavlyuchenkova is a Russian professional tennis player and a multiple junior Grand Slam champion. Her career-high rank of World No. 13 was achieved on 4 July 2011. From July 2007 to September 2009 she was coached at the Mouratoglou Tennis Academy in France...	Elena Vesnina Elena Vesnina Elena Sergeevna Vesnina is a professional female tennis player from Russia. Her career high rank was #22, achieved on 12 October 2009...	5–7, 7–5, 6–4

Doubles

Year	Champions	Runners-up	Score
2005	Marta Marrero Marta Marrero Marta Marrero Marrero is a former professional Spanish tennis player. She reached the quarterfinals of the French Open, won two WTA doubles titles, and also won a total of 12 ITF singles and doubles titles. Her highest singles rank on the WTA Tour was World Number 47, which she reached in 2004...   Antonella Serra Zanetti Antonella Serra Zanetti Antonella Serra Zanetti is a professional female tennis player from Italy.On January 30, 2006, Serra Zanetti achieved her career-high singles ranking: World No. 60.-Doubles :...	Daniela Klemenschits Daniela Klemenschits Daniela Klemenschits was an Austrian doubles tennis player.She was born in Vienna. Klemenschits played doubles with her twin sister Sandra on the WTA Tour and the ITF women's circuit until 2006...     Sandra Klemenschits Sandra Klemenschits Sandra Klemenschits is an Austrian tennis player. She has won around 25 doubles titles on the ITF Circuit as of May 2009, most of them with her twin Daniela although they never reached a WTA doubles final.-Personal life:...	6–4, 6–0
2006	Alyona Bondarenko Alyona Bondarenko Alona Volodymyrivna Bondarenko Dyachoka is a Ukrainian tennis player. She has a younger sister Kateryna Bondarenko who also plays on the Tour. She formerly paired with her older sister Valeria in doubles. She is currently ranked World No. 114 in singles and World No. 327 in doubles by the WTA.Her...   Anastasiya Yakimova Anastasiya Yakimova Anastasiya Yakimova is a female tennis player from Belarus. She made it to the third round of the 2007 Australian Open, defeating Ai Sugiyama of Japan, a seeded player, on the way in the second round.-2009:...	Sania Mirza Sania Mirza Sania Mirza is a professional Indian tennis player. She began her tennis career in 2003 and is well known for her powerful forehand ground strokes. She is the first ever Indian to break into the top 30 WTA rankings...     Alicia Molik Alicia Molik Alicia Molik is a Australian professional female tennis player. She reached a career high singles rank of number 8 and also won a bronze medal for Australia at the 2004 Athens Olympics. Molik also reached a career high doubles ranking of number 6, and won two grand slam doubles titles, at the...	6–2, 6–4
2007 2007 Istanbul Cup The 2007 Istanbul Cup is a WTA Tour tennis tournament played on May 19–26, 2007. Aravane Rezaï had a run of wins over Venus Williams and Maria Sharapova before going down in the final to Elena Dementieva.-Singles:# Maria Sharapova ...	Agnieszka Radwańska Agnieszka Radwanska Agnieszka Radwańska is a WTA Tour Polish tennis player.Her career high singles ranking is World No. 8, which she achieved on 22 February 2010. As of 24 October 2011, she is ranked World No. 8. In 2007, Radwańska became the first Polish player in history to claim a WTA Tour singles title when she...   Urszula Radwańska Urszula Radwanska Urszula Radwańska is a Polish tennis player and a younger sister of Agnieszka Radwańska. She reached her career high ranking of World No. 62 on 10 August 2009.-Tennis career:...	Yung-Jan Chan Chan Yung-jan Chan Yung-jan , Taiwan) is a professional female tennis player from Republic of China . She has won 13 ITF singles titles; and 7 WTA and 11 ITF doubles titles. Her career highlights include semifinals in the Japan Open in 2006 and finals in the PTT Bangkok Open in 2007 Chan Yung-jan , Taiwan) is a...     Sania Mirza Sania Mirza Sania Mirza is a professional Indian tennis player. She began her tennis career in 2003 and is well known for her powerful forehand ground strokes. She is the first ever Indian to break into the top 30 WTA rankings...	6–1, 6–3
2008 2008 Istanbul Cup The 2008 İstanbul Cup was a tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts. It was the 4th edition of the İstanbul Cup, and was part of the Tier III Series of the 2008 WTA Tour. It took place in İstanbul, Turkey, from May 19 through May 24, 2008.-Singles:...	Jill Craybas Jill Craybas - Early years :Craybas was born in Providence, Rhode Island. She received an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, where she played for coach Andy Brandi's Florida Gators women's tennis team in National Collegiate Athletics Association competition from 1993 to...   Olga Govortsova Olga Govortsova Olga Govortsova is a professional Belarusian tennis player. As of May 10, 2010 her highest singles ranking on the WTA is World Number 35, which she achieved on June 23, 2008.-Career:...	Marina Erakovic Marina Erakovic Marina Erakovic is a New Zealand professional tennis player of Croatian background. Her career high in Women's Tennis Association doubles ranking is World No. 43, achieved on 27 October 2008, and in singles it is No. 49, achieved on 7 July 2008. As of 21 November 2011, she is World No...     Polona Hercog Polona Hercog Polona Hercog is a Slovenian tennis player. Her highest ranking is No. 35 in singles and No. 56 in doubles. Hercog has won two WTA Tour doubles title and one singles title. She also enjoyed success on the ITF Circuit, winning nine singles and five doubles titles...	6–1, 6–2
2009 2009 İstanbul Cup The 2009 İstanbul Cup was a tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It was the fifth edition of the İstanbul Cup, and was part of the WTA International tournaments of the 2009 WTA Tour...	Lucie Hradecká Lucie Hradecká Lucie Hradecká is a professional tennis player from the Czech Republic. In her career, Hradecká has won ten WTA doubles titles. This total includes the 2011 French Open, in which she won her first Grand Slam title.-Career:...     Renata Voráčová Renata Vorácová Renata Voráčová is a professional female tennis player from the Czech Republic. Her career high singles ranking is No...	Julia Görges Julia Görges Julia Görges is a professional tennis player from Germany. Görges reached career-high WTA singles ranking of No. 16 on 6 June 2011 and a doubles ranking of 31 on 6 June 2011...     Patty Schnyder Patty Schnyder Patty Schnyder is a retired Swiss professional tennis player. She played on the WTA tour from 1993 to 2011 and is a former World No. 7. She defeated several World No...	2–6, 6–3, [12–10]
2010 2010 İstanbul Cup The 2010 İstanbul Cup was a tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It was the 6th edition of the İstanbul Cup, and was part of the WTA International tournaments of the 2010 WTA Tour...	Eleni Daniilidou Eleni Daniilidou Eleni Daniilidou is a Greek tennis player born in Chania, on the island of Crete.As of 2011, she has won five WTA singles titles and three doubles titles. In 2003, she reached the Australian Open mixed doubles final. Her highest singles ranking has been 14th...     Jasmin Wöhr Jasmin Wöhr Jasmin Wöhr is a German professional tennis player. She turned professional in 1999.Wöhr was part of the Germany Fed Cup team in 2006. In the same year, she played solely in doubles competition, but has since returned to singles as well...	Maria Kondratieva Maria Kondratieva Maria Kondratieva is a Russian professional tennis player. Her career-high WTA doubles ranking is 48, set on 18 October 2010. Her career-high WTA singles ranking is 210, which she reached on 23 June 2008.-Doubles: 4 :-External links:...     Vladimíra Uhlířová Vladimíra Uhlírová Vladimíra Uhlířová is a professional tennis player from the Czech Republic. Uhlířová reached her highest doubles ranking of World number 18 on October 1, 2007. Uhlířová has won 17 ITF doubles titles and 5 WTA doubles titles, but no singles titles of either type.-Doubles: 17 :-External links:...	6–4, 1–6, [11–9]

External links

• Official site