Algarve Announces All-Star Line-Up for 2010

Defending Champion Greg Rusedski and Barcelona Open winner Goran Ivanisevic will head a glittering cast of players set to grace the court at the ninth annual Vale do Lobo Grand Champions CGD in August.

Set in the Algarve - one of Europe’s most stunning and sun-drenched holiday resorts - the Vale do Lobo Grand Champions is always one of the most popular events on the ATP Champions Tour with players and fans alike. The event not only presents the Champions with the opportunity to play in front of sell-out crowds amid a festival atmosphere, but also the chance to add their names to an honour roll that includes the names of John McEnroe, Jim Courier and Marcelo Rios.

Rusedski defeated Stefan Edberg in a thrilling final in 2009 to lift his first ever ATP Champions Tour trophy in the Algarve, and he will be hungry to retain his title when he returns to the stunning Vale do Lobo Tennis Academy between August 10th and 13th.

The Briton will be joined in the Vale do Lobo Group by South African Airways Rankings leader Thomas Enqvist, talented Frechman Henri Leconte and Portuguese Davis Cup hero Nuno Marques. Despite meeting a total of nine times during their playing careers, Rusedski and Enqvist will be clashing for the first time on the ATP Champions Tour at the Algarve event. Rusedski currently leads their head-to-head 6-3, but with Enqvist already having won two titles on the Tour this year, the former US Open finalist will have his work cut out if he is to advance to the final.

Meanwhile, Ivanisevic has been drawn in the Caixa Geral de Depósitos Group alongside former World Number One Yevgeny Kafelnikov, 1995 French Open Champion Thomas Muster and former British Number One Jeremy Bates.

Matches are played over the best of three sets, with a Champions’ Tie-break (first to 10 points with a clear advantage of two) to decide the winner. After all round-robin matches are complete, the top two players in each group will meet in Friday's final.

After the Algarve event, the ATP Champions Tour will move on to Knokke, Belgium for the inaugural Optima Open (August 20-22), and after that will arrive in Paris for the seventh annual Jean-Luc Lagardere Trophy at the prestigious Paris Racing Club (October 1-3).