The $3 million event will be the first tennis tournament at Staples Center, which opened in October 1999. The final will likely be the first weekend in November.

The move was approved by the WTA Tour board of directors, which has 10 members, six from the United States

The tournament moved to Germany last year after being played at Madison Square Garden in New York since 1972, but attendance was disappointing. The 16-player, six-day event drew 36,500 fans in Munich, compared with 94,133 the final year in New York.

Nine-time Grand Slam champion Monica Seles' refusal to play in Germany, where she was stabbed during a match in 1993, may have also been a factor in the decision.

Negotiations on the deal at Staples Center began late last year. The arena is the home of the Los Angeles Lakers, Clippers and Kings, and the Democratic National Convention was held there last summer.

``This has been a work in progress for quite awhile,'' Staples Center president Tim Leiweke said. ``We're very pleased.''

He said moving the championship to Los Angeles should not only lure Seles back but also attract such marquee players as Lindsay Davenport, Martina Hingis, and Venus and Serena Williams.

``To be in a city like Los Angeles, in a building like Staples Center and be a premium event, and in a star, entertainment-driven marketplace like L.A., is going to be a big deal,'' Leiweke said. ``So I think this is good for all of the players. It's the right platform, the right venue and the right opportunity to significantly enhance the event.''

Octagon, rights holder to the event, proposed the move to Los Angeles. Octagon and WTA Tour officials declined to comment on details of the agreement.

Leiweke wouldn't say how long the deal would bring the event to Los Angeles.

``It means that for at least a couple of years we're going to start with Staples Center,'' he said. ``It means that we want to just take this a step at a time.''