The $50,000 Women's Challenger, despite attracting some of the top international tennis players in the world, hasn't received much attention in its first eight events.

But the ninth annual tournament already has a buzz that has been lacking, although it still is two months away.

In addition to a new title sponsor, a new venue and a better date that doesn't coincide with a Steelers game, the tournament has a headliner in Ashley Harkleroad, the defending singles champion who is on the cover of the August edition of Playboy magazine with additional photographs inside.

"It puts tennis in a different perspective," said tournament promoter Bob Ruzanic. "It will draw attention to the tournament and give the sport full exposure. It shows that women tennis players not only are athletic, but they're also attractive. It puts tennis in a space it has never been in."

Harkleroad, 23, who is ranked 61st in the world, is more than just a pretty face in women's tennis. She won two matches to help the United States defeat Germany in the quarterfinals of the Federation Cup this spring.

"She can play tennis," said Ruzanic, a USTA spokesman in Western Pennsylvania and the president and founder of the Tennis Patrons Foundation, a nonprofit corporation that provides free tennis lessons, clinics, after-school programs and equipment to disadvantage minority kids.

The Challenger's main sponsor will be Dick's Sporting Goods, which will take over for PNC, the title sponsor since the tournament's inception.

The official name of the tournament is Dick's Sporting Goods sponsors the Tennis Patrons Foundation of Greater Pittsburgh Women's $50,000 Challenger.

The weeklong tournament will return to Oxford North in Wexford after one year at Club 4 Life in Monroeville. The qualifier will be Oct. 5, and the tournament will conclude with the championship Oct. 12

The field will include players ranked between 50 and 250 in the world. Maria Sharapova lost in the 2002 finals, just 18 months before she won the Wimbledon singles title.

"The first eight tournaments were in November, which isn't a good date in Western Pennsylvania," Ruzanic said.

"We chose this week in October because we knew the Steelers had a bye [Oct. 12], the Penguins wouldn't be playing and we knew the Pirates would be insignificant. Everything just fit in."