World number one and Wimbledon champion to play Queen's
Ossian Shine
World number one Lleyton Hewitt and Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic will head a strong list of challengers in June's Stella Artois Championships, organisers said on Monday.
Hewitt, champion in 2000 and 2001, aims to match John McEnroe's record of three consecutive crowns at London's Queen's Club from 1979-1981, while Ivanisevic is hoping for his first title in 11 appearances at the traditional Wimbledon warm-up.
"As soon as I pick up my racket and get on the grass at the Stella I feel match tough," Hewitt said of the Queen's Club's grass courts.
"I made the semis in 1999, and the next two years I won the title. In my opinion they are the best grass courts in the world -- the bounce is true and the ball really comes onto your racket."
Britain's top two players, Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski, will also be at Queen's for the event which traditionally marks the beginning of the British grasscourt season.
"There is always a strong field at the Stella because it's such a great event," said Henman, who lost to Hewitt in the final last year.
FORM GUIDE
"With the likes of Hewitt and Rusedski there will be a lot of guys capable of playing good tennis on grass. Hewitt has won the last two years but I've been to the final twice and I'll be looking to go one better this year."
Henman, currently second in the ATP Champions Race, has enjoyed the best start to a season in his nine-year career this year, winning a title in Adelaide and reaching finals at Indian Wells and Rotterdam.
Rusedski, a Stella Artois semifinalist in 1997, showed good form to win the Auckland crown in January and returns to Queen's for the ninth consecutive year.
Seven-times Wimbledon champion Pete Sampras has again requested that a wildcard place be reserved for him.
Widely regarded as the form guide for Wimbledon, 19 of the previous 21 Wimbledon champions have played the Stella Artois, and Sampras has taken a wildcard into the past five editions of the event.
French Open semifinalist and world number three Juan Carlos Ferrero has also asked for a wildcard.
Australian Open finalist Marat Safin of Russia, Americans Jan-Michael Gambill and James Blake along with Argentine Guillermo Canas, have joined 1997 Stella Artois champion Mark Philippoussis and 1992 winner Wayne Ferreira in also confirming their entries.
