By Liu Xin

As one of the top-ranking tennis tournaments in Asia, the China Open will cap the list in prize money this year by offering a total of $6.6 million, putting it on par with ATP Masters in Indian Wells (California), Miami and Madrid.

This includes $2.1 million for the ATP 500 Series and $4.5 million for WTA Crown-Jewel Events, the organizing committee indicated recently.

The women's singles purse will be the largest offered at $775,500 and 1,000 ranking points, with a second prize of $387,800 and 700. The men's singles winner gets $573,000 and 500 points, with second taking home $286,500 and 300. Women's and men's doubles prizes are $266,000, 1,000 points and $160,000, 500 points respectively.

This year's China Open will be held October 2-11 at the Beijing Olympic Green Tennis Center, the main courts during the Games last year. The organizing committee of the tournament has already announced that all confirmed to play at the upcoming Open are ranked within the ATP top 50.

Only those ranked within the world's top 100 are qualified to compete in the event.

Men's Grand Slam winners such as top-tens Novak Djokovic and Andy Roddick will join the roster, as well as 18 other top-30 players.

Although lower ranked, two wild cards spots were awarded to former China Open champions Marat Safin of Russia and Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus.

On the women's side, big draws like the Williams sisters, Dinara Safina and Elena Dementieva of Russia will compete alongside hometown favorites 19th-seed Li Na, the highest-ranked Chinese player in the world, and doubles specialist Zheng Jie for the China Open title.

However, despite getting a wild card slot, the newly crowned US Open champ Kim Clijsters of Belgium has withdrawn from the competition.

"Clijsters said she's feeling exhausted after her win at Flushing Meadows, and regrets that she won't be able to make it to the China Open," a spokesman for the organizing committee told the press.

"But there'll still be a lot of star players to catch," the spokesman added.