PHILADELPHIA - Reports of the first big-name casualty came on Friday, the morning of the draw: Serena Williams had pulled out of the Advanta Championships due to illness. But this was nowhere near as bad as last year. Tournament officials were admittedly disappointed in 2003, when the Advanta returned to Villanova's Pavilion after a two-year hiatus, only to see most of the world's top players skip the tournament with injuries or other excuses. Now, those same officials can declare their event officially back in business. The 2004 Advanta Championships - the final tune-up before the year-ending WTA Championships in Los Angeles - run Monday through next Sunday at Villanova and boast eight of the current top 20 players on the WTA tour. "We have a terrific tournament this year," Advanta CEO Dennis Alter said Friday afternoon at the tournament draw, which took place at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and featured an appearance by Billie Jean King. "We have a great field." Highlighting that field: Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova. Ranked seventh in the world, the 17-year-old, blonde-haired Russian is the top draw on the pro tour and has, according to King, "ignited" the women's game this year. Sharapova drew the Advanta's third seed. Amelie Mauresmo, the defending tournament champion, returns as the world's No. 2-ranked player and this year's top seed. Seeded second is Anastasia Myskina, whom Mauresmo defeated in the 2003 Advanta final. Myskina went on to win the French Open this year and currently ranks No. 3 on the tour. Jennifer Capriati - ranked eighth - drew the Advanta's fourth seed, and Venus Williams - ranked 10th - drew the fifth. Rounding out the entrants in the WTA's Top 20: Vera Zvonareva (11), Nadia Petrova (13) and Alicia Molik (14). Lisa Raymond, a Wayne native, returns this year after winning the 2003 Advanta doubles championship with Martina Navratilova. Raymond's first singles match of the tournament, against Venus Williams, may be the marquee event of the early rounds. It will likely take place on Tuesday night. "That night better be sold out," King said. "I'd be sure to come out for that one, because anything can happen that night." Tournament chairman Peter Fishbach knows that plenty still can happen to dilute this seemingly impressive field. Injuries or illnesses, a la Serena Williams, could cause more players to drop out before the tournament begins on Monday. Or top players could get upset in the early rounds, thus taking some of the glitz out of the championship matches. Even if that happens, Fishbach is confident it won't be as bad as last year. "You do like to have the marquee names," Fishbach said. "But luckily, the field is so deep this year that we think no matter who wins any of the matches, once you get to the semifinals and finals, it will be someone recognizable. "Last year, people were saying, 'You have Myskina and Mauresmo [in the final]. Who are they?' Now they're ranked 2 and 3 in the world. ...So we're very pleased with our field, and hopefully it just gets stronger every year." --

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