WASHINGTON, D.C. – One week after officials released the ATP player entry list for the 2010 Legg Mason Tennis Classic presented by GEICO, Tournament Director Jeff Newman has given the first of four available wild-card berths to Argentina’s David Nalbandian, a perennial top-10 player who returns to the ATP World Tour following right hip surgery.  The tournament, an ATP World Tour 500 and Olympus US Open Series event, takes place July 31-Aug. 8 at the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center (16th & Kennedy Streets, NW).  It will mark Nalbandian’s first tournament since April.

Nalbandian turned pro in 2000, following a stellar junior career that included a US Open title, a Roland Garros runner-up finish and a semifinal appearance in the Wimbledon boys’ competition.  So it was no surprise that he immediately raced up the rankings when he turned pro, winning his first of 10 ATP singles titles and cracking the top 50 in his first full year as a professional.  His 10 career singles runner-up results include Wimbledon.  His career-high ranking was No. 3 in the world, and he finished in the top 10 for five seasons before injuries curtailed his play.
 

This year’s Legg Mason Tennis Classic field is led by two-time French Open finalist Robin Soderling (No. 5 on the South African Airways ATP Singles Rankings); Wimbledon finalist Tomas Berdych (No. 8); three-time (2001, 2005 and 2007) Legg Mason Tennis Classic Champion Andy Roddick (No. 9); Marin Cilic (No. 13); John Isner (No. 18), who made history with his first-round victory over Nicholas Mahut at Wimbledon – officially the longest match in tennis history, clocking in at more than 11 hours over three days and ending at 70-68 in the fifth set; and Sam Querrey, the only man other than Rafael Nadal with three tournament titles this season and currently ranked a career-high No. 19 in the world.
 

“Our elevation to an ATP World Tour 500 event was in an effort to showcase the best player field possible for our fans, while also attracting top players who have not participated here in Washington,” said Newman.  “We feel we have accomplished both of these goals, having three of the current top 10 (Roddick, Soderling and Berdych) and the addition of Nalbandian, yet another player who is making his debut at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic.”
 

Ticket packages for the Legg Mason Tennis Classic are on sale now and can be purchased through the tournament hotline at 202-721-9500. Single-session tickets, ranging in price from $10-$70 – based on location, session date and time – are also available through all TicketMaster outlets. For more information on the Legg Mason Tennis Classic presented by GEICO, please visit the tournament website at leggmasontennisclassic.com, follow the Legg Mason Tennis Classic on Facebook at facebook.com/leggmasontennisclassic, or call 202.721.9500.
 

An integral part of the sports and entertainment fabric of Washington, D.C. for 42 years, the Legg Mason Tennis Classic, a Lagardère Unlimited production, is owned by and benefits the Washington Tennis & Education Foundation, which seeks to improve the life prospects for D.C.-area youth.
 

The Legg Mason Tennis Classic is part of the Olympus US Open Series, which links 10 summer tournaments to the US Open, the largest annually attended sporting event in the world.  The Olympus US Open Series brings together these 10 tournaments in North America, three television networks, tennis’ sanctioning bodies and top corporate sponsors during the summer tennis season.  Since its launch in 2004, The Olympus US Open Series has doubled television viewership of tennis, increased total event attendance and contributed to the growing popularity of the sport.

 

About The WTEF
The Washington Tennis & Education Foundation (WTEF) was founded in 1955 as an organization designed to help disadvantaged youth through tennis. Since then, it has evolved into an organization that provides academic help to at-risk children, by helping them to apply the lessons learned on the tennis court in the classroom and beyond. Today, WTEF is a leader in the best practice of providing academic enrichment, supplemented by tennis and life skills instruction, as a means for developing the skills necessary to achieve academic and personal success. WTEF seeks to improve the life prospects of DC area youth, particularly those from low-income communities, through tennis, educational, and community-building activities that teach discipline, build confidence, and improve academic performance. www.wtef.org

About Legg Mason
Legg Mason is a global asset management firm, with $685 billion in assets under management at March 31, 2010. The Company provides active asset management in many major investment centers throughout the world. Legg Mason is headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, and its common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (symbol: LM). www.leggmason.com

 

About Lagardère Unlimited
Lagardère Unlimited (formerly known as Lagardère Sports) is a specialist in the sports economy comprised of six universes: representation of prominent artists and athletes, management of sports academies, events planning and logistics, management of medias, and marketing and consulting. Lagardère Unlimited has quickly become a major player worldwide through the integration of a portfolio of world-class companies, including the recently acquired BEST (Blue Entertainment Sports Television), Sportfive, IEC in Sports, Upsolut, PrEvent and World Sport Group. Current clients include Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes, Reggie Bush, 2009 AP Offensive Player of the Year Chris Johnson and 2009 AP Offensive Rookie of the Year Percy Harvin; NBA All-Star Shawn Marion, 2010 NBA Draft pick John Wall, 2009 NBA Lottery pick Ricky Rubio and 2009 NBA Sixth-Man of the Year Jason Terry; legendary ATP doubles team Bob and Mike Bryan, rising star Melanie Oudin, WTA #3 Caroline Wozniacki, seven-time Grand Slam Champion Justine Henin and 2003 US Open Champion and ATP #7 Andy Roddick; top MMA heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko; basketball legend Magic Johnson; boxing legend Floyd Mayweather, Jr.; entertainment personalities John Saunders, Jenn Brown and Matt Vasgersian. Media & Event properties include the US Open Tennis Championship, the French Open Tennis Championship, the Legg Mason Tennis Classic, numerous US-based ATP tournaments, Rock ’n Racquets, the Boston Marathon, the Superstars Competition, Ice Wars, The Showcase college basketball event, the Men’s and Women’s Fifth Third Bank Tennis Championships and experiential grassroots properties Hoop It Up, Kick It, Let It Fly and Rock The Box. www.lagardere-unlimited.com