TOP FLIGHT HEADS TO EASTBOURNE FOR AEGON INTERNATIONAL

27/05/2009

Issued by the Lawn Tennis Association:

Six of the world's top 10 female tennis players will be joined by favourite faces from the men's tour and some of the sport's brightest up-and-coming stars in the AEGON International's first year as a combined WTA and ATP event (Tickets: 01323 412 000).

World No.4 Elena Dementieva heads a spectacular field contesting the women's title at Devonshire Park from 13th-20th June. The Russian, who reached the quarterfinal of the tournament in her only other visit to Eastbourne in 2007, has enjoyed another outstanding season so far in 2009, winning titles in Auckland and Sydney at the start of the year.

World No.5 Jelena Jankovic returns to Eastbourne for the first time since 2005. The 24-year-old Serb has an impressive track record on grass courts having won the AEGON Classic title in Birmingham in 2007 and reached the final there in 2005.

Jankovic's compatriot, former world No.1 Ana Ivanovic, will also finalise her Wimbledon preparations at the AEGON International.

Currently ranked No.8 in the world, 21-year-old Ivanovic says she's eager to make her Devonshire Park debut. "I'm looking forward to playing in Eastbourne," said the 2007 Wimbledon semi-finalist. "I've been there once before a few years ago but had to pull out because of injury, and I could see that it's a very peaceful, relaxed setting.

"It looks like the perfect place to prepare for Wimbledon, but it's also a chance to win a prestigious title - I know that the tournament has great history. I've always thought that British tennis fans are among the best in the world, and I enjoy playing in front of them."

Russian Vera Zvonareva arrives in Eastbourne off the back of an outstanding season that has seen her win the title at Indian Wells, reach the semi-finals of the Australian Open and achieve her career-high ranking of No.5 in the world.

Currently ranked No.6, Zvonareva is making her fifth appearance at the AEGON International, her best performance coming in 2004 when she reached the semi-finals.

Gael Monfils, Tommy Haas, Ivan Ljubicic are among the ATP World Tour favourites fighting out the men's event at Devonshire Park.

World No.10 Monfils heads the men's draw at the AEGON International. The Frenchman, who reached the quarterfinals of the AEGON Championships in 2006, made a strong start to the 2009 season, reaching the fourth round at the Australian Open, the semi-finals in Rotterdam and the final in Acapulco.

A French Open semi-finalist in 2008, Monfils is looking to the new combined ATP/WTA tournament to provide the perfect preparation for his Wimbledon campaign.

On the comeback from shoulder surgery late in the 2008 season, former world No.2 Tommy Haas is a popular addition to the men's draw. Now ranked No.63 in the world, the German has twice been a semi-finalist at the grass court tournament in Halle.

Ivan Ljubicic is another former top-tenner on the comeback from injury and gracing the grass courts of Devonshire Park. Ranked as high as No.3 (in 2006), the world No.53 from Croatia has reached the quarterfinals of ATP Tour Masters 1000 events at Indian Wells, Monte Carlo and Madrid in 2009.

Some of the brightest young stars of the women's game will also join the fray at the AEGON International.

World No.9 Victoria Azarenka makes her second appearance in Eastbourne, a knee injury forcing her to withdraw from the first round of the tournament in 2008. A three-time WTA Tour champion in 2009, 19-year-old Azarenka is a former ITF World Junior Champion with Australian Open and US Open junior titles to her name.

Azarenka will be joined by close friend and colleague, Caroline Wozniacki, who made her debut in the world's top 10 on Monday 18th May after an outstanding start to the 2009 season.

In her Eastbourne debut in 2008, Wozniacki upset then-world No.4 Svetlana Kuznetsova en route to the quarterfinals and she is keen to build on her outstanding 2009 season when she takes to the Devonshire Park courts for the second time.

The Danish woman won her fourth career title at Ponte Vedra Beach in April this year and won the junior Wimbledon title in 2006.

Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska returns to the scene of her first Sony Ericsson WTA Tour title when she opens her defence at Devonshire Park.

Ranked No.12 in the world, Radwanska's victory was a high point of her breakthrough 2008 season, prefixing a quarterfinal run at Wimbledon and her debut in the world top 10.

AEGON International Tournament Director, Gavin Fletcher, said the combined ATP/WTA event promised an entertaining week of tennis.

"I am delighted with the quality of the player field at the AEGON International. In recent years we have attracted some of the very best players in the world and this year looks to be no different," said Fletcher.

"The new combined event will be an exciting week of world class tennis and demand for tickets is very high. I would urge sports fans to come along to Devonshire Park to enjoy what will be a memorable week of tennis."

Tickets for the AEGON International, taking place at Eastbourne's Devonshire Park from 13th-20th June, are currently on sale and can be purchased by calling 01323 412 000 or by visiting the box office at the Congress Theatre in Eastbourne.

Main draw players - women:

Elena DEMENTIEVA, RUS

Kaia KANEPI, EST

Jelena JANKOVIC, SRB

Amelie MAURESMO, FRA

Vera ZVONAREVA, RUS

Anna CHAKVETADZE, RUS

Ana IVANOVIC, SRB

Carla SUAREZ NAVARRO, ESP

Victoria AZARENKA, BLR

Alisa KLEYBANOVA, RUS

Nadia PETROVA, RUS