Rafter宣布将於下礼拜参加Austria的元老巡回赛 这也是他於2002年以来打的第一场单打赛事 而这也是继Sampras,Edberg,Chang,Kafelnikov後第五位 今年宣布会参加此项巡回赛事的前大满贯赛冠军 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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