Rediff

Bangalore, Feb 4: The Bangalore Open will now have another added attraction with Venus Williams confirming participation and joining her sister Serena, the organisers announced in Bangalore on Monday.

The tournament will see the Williams sisters appearing together for the first time outside the Grand Slams.

"The Bangalore Open will have them", tournament director and secretary of the Karnataka Lawn Tennis Association (KSLTA) Sunder Raju said.

Austria's Sybille Bammer is another player among the top 10 ranked in the world who will also be participating in this Tier-II event, being held here at Karnataka Lawn Tennis Courts from March 3 to 9.

For the first time, as an experiment, coaches will be allowed to coach players during the matches, he said.

Thirty two players, including Serena, will vie for top honours in the tourney, which offers a total prize money of USD 600,000.

Sunder said Indian tennis sensation Sania Mirza has not yet confirmed her participation.

To a query on why she is not participating, he said: "you guess it. I can only say she has not entered".