ATP CHAMPIONS TOUR KNOKKE – IVANISEVIC, MCENROE, CLIJSTERS, MALISSE, SELES, RUSEDSKI HEAD TO BELGIUM

Written by: Staff on 14th August 2014

Citi Open tennis tournament in Washington, DC

ATP CHAMPIONS TOUR KNOKKE - IVANISEVIC, MCENROE, CLIJSTERS, MALISSE, SELES, RUSEDSKI HEAD TO BELGIUM

epa03339347 Xavier Malisse of Belgium returns a ball to Mardy Fish of the USA in their semifinal match during the Citi Open tennis tournament in Washington, DC, USA, 03 August 2012. Fish defeated Malisse 6-3, 6-4. EPA/SHAWN THEW |

ATP Champions Tour Knokke – Ivanisevic , McEnroe , Clijsters , Malisse , Rusedski , Seles Head To Belgium

OPTIMA OPEN

ATP CHAMPIONS TOUR

14-17 AUGUST, 2014

KNOKKE, BELGIUM

Three-time former champion Goran Ivanisevic headlines a star-studded ATP Champions Tour field returning to Knokke-Heist in Belgium today for the fifth annual instalment of the Optima Open (August 14-17).

Bidding for his fourth title at the prestigious Royal Zoute Tennis Club on ‘The Belgian Riviera’, Ivanisevic will face competition in the round robin stage from Aussie Pat Cash and local boy Xavier Malisse, who is delighted to be making his ATP Champions Tour debut as a wildcard.

“It’s a pleasure to take up tennis again for a match in my own country against some of the greatest tennis players in the world,” said Malisse, who retired from the ATP World Tour last year. “Whether I have a chance of winning this will of course depend on the competition. So I’m very curious about my opponents and will start practising!”

Group B will pit Briton Greg Rusedski against the French duo of Henri Leconte and ‘Little Magician’ Fabrice Santoro.

Complimenting the main draw at the Optima Open this year there will be a star-studded mixed doubles exhibition event featuring two former women’s number ones – Kim Clijsters and Monica Seles – alongside men’s legend John McEnroe, with crowd favourite Mansour Bahrami completing the foursome.

It will be McEnroe’s fourth visit to the Optima Open, but his first with the company of Belgain legend Clijsters alongside him in the doubles draw.

“I am very pleased to be coming back to Knokke-Heist again for the Optima Open,” he said. “It is one of our very best Champions tour events in the world, with a great atmosphere and great fans. I am really looking forward to seeing Kim again. It’s great that she’s going to be joining us this year!”

Editors note : we heard from Xavier Malisse also known as the X-MAN . He said he surprised himself how well he has been playing and hitting the ball. We always hope for a comeback.

To view the full draws and order of play in Knokke-Heist, visit: http://www.atpchampionstour.com/results/results.aspx

Official Optima Open website: http://www.optimaopen.be

After Belgium, the circuit moves on to Italy for the inaugural La Grande Sfida in Genoa and Milan. The final event of the year is the Statoil Masters Tennis at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

For details of all events click here: http://www.atpchampionstour.com/events/listings.aspx

ATP CHAMPIONS TOUR VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS

Video – What makes John McEnroe tick? - http://goo.gl/DZTkEf

Video – Watch Tim Henman and Goran Ivanisevic watch THAT Wimbledon semifinal … together -http://goo.gl/11ti2g

Video – Facing Federer: Mark Philippoussis remembers his 2003 Wimbledon final against Roger Federer – http://goo.gl/vpo60h

Video – What’s in your bag? Tim Henman rummages through the belongings of one of his fellow ATP Champions Tour stars. But whose bag is it? – http://goo.gl/u8al7C

For other video content from the ATP Champion Tour, click here: http://www.atpchampionstour.com/multimedia/video-landing.aspx

Topics: 10sballs.com, ATP Champions Tour, Goran Ivanisevic, Greg Rusedski, John Mcenroe, Tennis, Tennis News, The X-Man, Xavier Malisse

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10sBalls_com says:

August 14, 2014 at 4:40 pm

#ATP CHAMPIONS TOUR #KNOKKE – IVANISEVIC, @McEnroeTweets, CLIJSTERS, @xmalissesite, SELES, RUSEDSKI HEAD TO BELGIUM- http://t.co/u3rrzqp1xV