ZHUHAI, China - The 100-day countdown to the start of the Hengqin Life WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai began on Saturday.

The road to the final WTA event of the season kicked off with a series of activities hosted by Huafa Group, the organizer of the year-end tournament, with the theme “Welcome to Zhuhai, the Tennis City.”

In celebration of the upcoming tournament, WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai tournament director Jose Miguel Garcia and other guests came together to press the launch button to initiate take-off of the Huafa Tennis aircraft.

Later, 50 lucky fans had the opportunity to participate in several hands-on opportunities, which included using their fingers to make heart-shaped gestures and then took part in a creative eggshell painting activity to express their support for the tennis competition.

PHOTOS: The road to Zhuhai kicks off in style

“The WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai is an exciting event and has proven to be a great success in the development of tennis within the region,” said WTA CEO and Chairman Steve Simon.

“We are confident that the WTA Elite Trophy will continue to grow and play an integral part in promoting tennis in Asia. We look forward to another competitive and successful event in 2018.”

WTA Legend Stefanie Graf will continue to be the event’s global ambassador for the third consecutive year. She will help showcase the diversity of the competition and the dynamics of the host city, while Hengqin Life will continue as the title sponsor of the WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai for the second year in a row.

The multi-country and multi-region collaboration between Hengqin Life and the WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai was formed based on a shared philosophy and common interest in the competition.

The presale for tickets to this year's event also began on Saturday, while the official sale is scheduled to follow on Sept. 1. Early-bird discounts, promotions for fans who had attended earlier events and group buyers are among the presale incentives, with discounts of up to 40 percent.

“This year, the city of Zhuhai will again and for the fourth consecutive time host the final act of the WTA season. We want all the people of Zhuhai to be able to come and watch some of the best tennis players in the world vying for the title at the Hengqin Tennis Center," Garcia said.

"We invite everyone to join us in the stadium and let the players feel the warmth and love of the Zhuhai fans.”