[情報] Rafter將參加元老賽

[steo (phen)]

Rafter宣佈將於下禮拜參加Austria的元老巡迴賽
這也是他於2002年以來打的第一場單打賽事
而這也是繼Sampras,Edberg,Chang,Kafelnikov後第五位
今年宣佈會參加此項巡迴賽事的前大滿貫賽冠軍

以下是原文:
Former World No.1 Patrick Rafter will return to the singles scene.

The two-time U.S. Open champion will play competitive singles tennis for the
first time in seven years after announcing that he will compete in the
BlackRock Tour of Champions event in Graz, Austria, next week (July 29th -
August 2nd).

The serve-and-volley stylist is the fifth former Grand Slam champion to join
the BlackRock Tour of Champions this year. Pete Sampras, Stefan Edberg,
Michael Chang and Yevgeny Kafelnikov will all play events on the circuit of
former World No.1’s, Grand Slam title winners and Davis Cup champions in
2008. Sampras won the title in Sao Paulo, Brazil last month and will appear
at the Royal Albert Hall in London in December. Edberg will also play in
London, but first in Paris, September 18-21. Chang and Kafelnikov are signed
up to compete at the AFAS Classics in Eindhoven, October 2-5, alongside
another newcomer, the 1996 Wimbledon finalist, Malivai Washington.

Rafter won the U.S. Open in 1997 and 1998, and reached Wimbledon finals in
2000 and 2001, losing dramatic matches against Sampras and Goran Ivanisevic
respectively.

Ivanisevic has also signed up to compete in Graz, which means a repeat of
their Wimbledon final is a possibility.

It has taken Rafter longer than most players to be tempted by the BlackRock
Tour of Champions.

"It's probably the first time since retirement that I have actually felt this
way," Rafter said. "This year I have decided to get fit again. I train about
five days a week which is gym, running and some other interesting fitness
techniques. I surf as much as I can as well. I understand quite a few of the
players play the tournaments (on the BlackRock Tour of Champions) so while it
would be great to win in Graz, I just want to play well."

In Graz, the Australian will face home favorite Thomas Muster, defending
champion and former Wimbledon winner Michael Stich, former World No.1 Marcelo
Rios and crowd pleaser Henri Leconte.

Last week in Istanbul, Ivanisevic won the Turkcell Legends Cup to move to
No.1 in the South African Airways Champions Tour Rankings.

After Graz, the Tour will move on to Algarve, Portugal for the Vale do Lobo
Grand Champions CGD (August 5-8).

Rafter himself was not an immense success as a junior, but went on to win
successive Open titles and earn a place in the International Tennis Hall of
Fame as a professional.

The third youngest of nine children, the Queensland, Australia native began
playing tennis at the age of five with his father Jim and three older
brothers. Though he was small for his age, Rafter was a relentless net rusher
from the very start of his junior career. During the early stages of his
teenage years, Rafter was routinely routed by other Australian juniors and
contemplated quitting tennis for a while.

"For a couple of years when I was 14 to 16; those couple of years I could
hardly win a match (after) being one of the best players in Australia as a
13-year-old," Rafter recalled. "Many times I thought of giving it away then.
Everyone was too strong for me then. I was a late bloomer."

He turned pro in 1991, but wasn’t exactly an instant winner. Rafter refined
his game playing Challengers, lower-level ATP events and an abundance of
doubles matches. He beat South African Wayne Ferreira to win his first career
ATP singles title at Manchester in 1994. Injuries slowed Rafter’s progress
in 1995 and 1996, but he responded by reaching six finals and winning his
first career Grand Slam at the U.S. Open in 1997.


http://www.tennisweek.com/news/fullstory.sps?inewsid=6614436

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→ chj920:好想看喔@@ 真懷念他阿!!
推 hurjae:對啊,我也是,這不知看得到否?
推 yevvi:除了Sampras都是我喜愛的人物...XDD
推 rainww25:Oh Oh My God 超級懷念的 只有他一直沒有什麼消息呀....
推 ykivy1:Kafelnikov會參加！！ 好想看好想看~~~
推 grafan:edberg+rafter T_T 好感動 好感動
推 luhc:大推 ! 我看到了 時光的眼淚 !
推 hwenyi:愛死Rafter了 好想看好想看