DAVID NALBANDIAN TO PARTICIPATE IN 2010 SONY ERICSSON OPEN

PanARMENIAN.Net
17.03.2010 13:56 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ ATP stalwarts Carlos Moya and David Nalbandian have
been awarded main draw wildcard berths for the 2010 Sony Ericsson
Open, to be played March 22 – April 4. The first round of the men’s
singles draw begins Wednesday, March 24.

Moya, a former world No. 1, has 20 career singles titles since turning
pro in 1995, including one Grand Slam victory in the 1998 French Open.

His accolades are not confined to the court. In 2005, Moya was
named the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year by the ATP for his
tireless charitable work. This year marks Moya’s 13th appearance at
the Sony Ericsson Open. His best showing came in 2003 when he reached
the finals.

Nalbandian continues to be a force on the ATP tour a decade after
beginning a professional career that has seen him rise to as high
as the No. 3 ranked player in the world. To date, he has 10 singles
titles to his credit, and is one of only four active players to reach
the semifinals of all four Grand Slams, including a finals appearance
at Wimbledon in 2002. This year’s tournament will be Nalbandian’s
10th Sony Ericsson Open entry.

Moya and Nalbandian join an already deep and accomplished men’s
field which includes World No. 1 and 2010 Australian Open champion
Roger Federer, six-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal, British
sensation and defending Sony Ericsson Open champ Andy Murray,
World No. 2 and 2007 Sony Ericsson Open Champion Novak Djokovic,
2009 U.S. Open Champion Juan Martin del Potro and American superstar
Andy Roddick just to name a few.

In addition to the wildcards awarded to Moya and Nalbandian, three
more wildcard berths will be given out to men prior to the event. The
qualifying rounds played March 22-23 will determine the final 12
entrants to complete the 96-man field, sonyericssonopen.com reported.

The 2010 Sony Ericsson Open will be played March 22-April 4 at the
Tennis Center at Crandon Park in Miami. The combined event, founded by
Butch Buchholz in 1985, is owned and operated by IMG. The Sony Ericsson
Open is one of nine ATP Masters Series events on the ATP calendar,
a Premier Mandatory event on the Sony Ericsson WTA TOUR calendar, and
features the top men’s and women’s tennis players in the world. In 2009
British standout Andy Murray defeated Novak Djokovic for his first Sony
Ericsson Open title, while rising Belarusian star Victoria Azarenka
knocked off Serena Williams to capture her first title in Miami.