MASON – The quarterfinals are set for the 2009 Western & Southern Financial Group Women’s Open and will take place on Friday.

FRIDAY ORDER OF PLAY

While initially scheduled as a10 am start for the day session on Friday, the first match will not get underway until noon. However the gates will still open at 9 am.

Fans are encouraged to come out to watch players practicing, including some of the early arriving men for next week’s Western & Southern Financial Group Masters, and visit the retail tent and concessions on-site.

The marquee quarterinfal match will feature current World No. 1 Dinara Safina against former No. 1 Kim Clijsters, who has returned to tennis this week after retiring in 2007. That match will not begin before 2:15 p.m.

Clijsters owns a 6-1 advantage in all-time meetings against Safina, although the Russian’s only win in the series came in their last meeting, in Rome in 2006.

In a battle of Top 10 players, No. 4 Elena Demetieva will take on No. 8 Caroline Wozniacki in the first match of the day at noon. They have split four previous meetings, although Wozniacki has claimed the last two.

Flavia Pennetta, who is on a 14-match winning streak, will take on Daniela Hantuchova in the last match of the day session. Hantuchova owns a 1-0 edge in the head-to-head, but that previous meeting took place in 2005.

Pennetta has won back-to-back titles, in Palermo and Los Angeles, and if she wins on Friday will become the first Italian woman to ever reach the Top 10.

The fifth ranked player in the world, Jelena Jankovic, will take on Sybille Bammer in the night match. Jankovic owns a 7-1 advantage in the series, including a 6-3 7-5 win here in Cincinnati in the 2005 second round.

Tickets are still available for both Friday sessions.