Estoril Open News and Events

Roger Federer

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ATP World No .1 Roger Federer and No. 5-ranked Nikolay Davydenko, the 2003 champion, headline the list of ATP players entered for the 19th edition of the Estoril Open, held at the Estadio Nacional, from April 12-20, 2008.

Federer will attempt to win his seventh career ATP title on clay courts, as the Swiss begins his European season at Estoril. The 26-year-old has amassed a 102-36 career ATP record on red dirt since turning pro in 1998. He has won 53 trophies lifetime.

Davydenko returns to the Estadio Nacional for the sixth time. In 2001, 2004 and 2007 he suffered first round exits, but clinched the 2003 title over Agustin Calleri and was runner-up in 2006 (l. to Nalbandian). The 26-year-old has five career clay titles.

Big-serving Croatian Ivo Karlovic, who hit an ATP-best 1,318 aces last year – the second-highest tally since 1991 – is scheduled to make his first appearance at Estoril since losing to Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in the 2005 first round. The World No. 20 has already reached the Rotterdam semifinals (l. to Llodra) this year.

Talented Finn Jarkko Nieminen, currently No. 26 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings (March 10, 2008), returns for the first time since 2003. The 26-year-old reached the 2002 Estoril final (l. to Nalbandian) and will be looking to repeat the kind of tennis that took him to the Adelaide final (l. to Llodra) and Australian Open quarterfinals (l. to Nadal) at the start of the 2008 ATP season.

There are three other players in the Top 50 entered for the tournament among the 25 direct acceptances, including France’s Gilles Simon and Nicolas Mahut and Italian Filippo Volandri.

There will be four spots available to winners of the qualification competition. Tournament Director Joao Lagos has already assigned one of three wild cards to Gastao Elias.