15/30/40 GAME SET MATCH...PALONG PINOY

The ITF announced on Wednesday the direct acceptance list for the 2008 Olympic Tennis Event in singles and doubles. For both men and women, this is the strongest field ever assembled in the Olympics since tennis returned as a full medal sport in Seoul in 1988.

Led by the world No. 1s, Roger Federer of Switzerland and Ana Ivanovic of Serbia, 17 of the top 20 men and 18 of the top 20 women will compete in Beijing.

Fifty-six players are entered based on their South African Airways ATP Ranking as of of 9 June (following Roland Garros), with a limit of four singles players per gender per country. Players must also be in good standing with their National Association and have met the minimum participation requirements for Davis Cup and Fed Cup.

All five of the top men will compete in Beijing. In the Top 20, only Andy Roddick (USA) and Richard Gasquet (FRA) declined to participate and Fernando Verdasco (ESP) is ineligible because he is the fifth qualified player from Spain.

Some men players included in the direct acceptance list have qualified under the ITF’s entry criteria, approved by the International Olympic Committee, but their entry has not yet been confirmed by their respective National Olympic Committees. The ITF continues to object to the exclusion of these players who have worked hard to establish their ranking which is a fair, transparent and equitable means for entry for tennis athletes. The ITF is discussing this situation with the International Olympic Committee, who approved its entry criteria, with the hope that this situation will be resolved in favour of these deserving players.

In addition, included is a list of the first three eligible men who will enter the draw if there is a withdrawal by a player whose country does not have a qualified alternate.

The Olympic Tennis Event will be played from August 10-17 at the new Olympic Tennis Center in Beijing, China. The 2004 Olympic gold medallists were Nicolas Massu (CHI) in singles and and Fernando Gonzalez/Massu (CHI) in doubles. Tennis was a part of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. After the 1924 Paris Games, tennis withdrew from the Olympics but returned as a demonstration event in 1984 Los Angeles and returned as a full medal sport in 1988 Seoul.