Eight other top 20 players are scheduled to take part in the September 10 to 17 event at the Grand Hyatt Hotel.

    "We feel honored and delighted to have at least nine world-class players having confirmed their participation in the upcoming event," tournament director Kevin Livesey was quoted as saying here on Tuesday.

    "And it's not yet finished. We're still expecting more top players to take part in the tourney," he said.

    Apart from Davenport, the other eight other top 20 players are last year's runner-up Francesca Schiavone of Italy, Patty Schnyder of Switzerland, Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia, Ana Ivanovic of Serbia-Montenegro, Ana Lena Groenefeld of Germany and Russians Vera Zvonareva, Elena Likhovtseva and Svetlana Kuznetsova.

    Last year only five top 20 players took part in the event. According to Livesey, the tournament could still attract more of the world's best players because registration would remain open until six weeks before play begins.

    Former top national player Angelique "Angie" Widjaja, who has just returned from a year layoff due to injury, has also confirmed her participation in the tournament.

    "The tournament will be held at much-improved facilities, including the venue, on which 90 percent of renovation work is near completion," said Regina Viviene, an executive with the tournament's main sponsor Wismilak.

    She hoped the tournament would help revive the tourist industry on the resort island after last October's suicide bombings in Jimbaran and Kuta, which killed 23 people, including the three bombers. Enditem