Tie breaks were used for the first two sets of each match, which was the best of three sets. If the score was tied at one set all, a "champions tie break" (the first player to win at least 10 points or by a margin of two points) would be used.
The list of players was confirmed on 10 April 2006. Marcelo Ríos, winner of the first two tournaments at Doha and Hong Kong, was initially considered but later discarded.[3]