Roddick, Hewitt Head Stars at Next Weeks Tennis Channel Open

The Tennis Channel Open -- the ATP tournament owned and operated by The Tennis Channel -- announced that Lleyton Hewitt, Australia's top-ranked tennis player, has signed a two-year commitment to play in the Las Vegas tournament, which this year takes place Feb. 27-March 5. The event will be held at the new Amanda & Stacy Darling Memorial Tennis Center.

The event also announced that Panasonic has signed a minimum two-year deal to be the presenting sponsor of the Tennis Channel Open. Beginning this year, the event will be known as "Panasonic presents the Tennis Channel Open."

"We're very serious about building an annual tournament that brings the best players in tennis to Las Vegas, and these multi-year commitments from both Hewitt and Panasonic keep us moving in the right direction," said Steve Bellamy, president and founder, The Tennis Channel. "We've now got the fiercest competitor in tennis with Lleyton, the most explosive player in Andy Roddick, and incredible ball strikers like Fernando Verdasco, Fernando Gonzalez, Xavier Malisse, Tommy Haas and James Blake. We also have the two best grinders in tennis in Robbie Ginepri and Vince Spadea, and big serve-and-volley chops from the Bryan brothers, Mark Philippoussis and Max Mirnyi. It is an incredible mix of verve, artistry and athleticism."

One of the most consistent performers in professional tennis today, the 24-year-old Hewitt is the No. 4-ranked singles player on the ATP tour, and joins a Top 25 tournament field that includes American players Andy Roddick (No. 3), Robby Ginepri (No. 16), and James Blake (No. 23), in addition to Chile's Fernando Gonzalez (No. 11) and Spain's Tommy Robredo (No. 19). US Open-winning twins Bob and Mike Bryan, the world No. 1 doubles team, are also committed to play at the event.

"(My wife Bec) and I are extremely excited to come to Las Vegas," Hewitt said. "The Tennis Channel Open is the talk of locker rooms around the world. For an international series event, it already has one of the strongest player fields on the tour in just its first year. The players are all extremely appreciative and confident in The Tennis Channel and I think coming to Las Vegas is a chance for them to show that confidence and appreciation."

In 2005 Hewitt made it to the Australian Open final and the Wimbledon and US Open semifinals, the latter of which marked the fifth time in six years that he reached at least the final four. Hewitt, who missed the French Open and the entire 2005 claycourt season due to injury, has lost to the eventual tournament winner in each of his past seven Grand Slam events.

In addition to six of the Top 25 players, the Tennis Channel Open will host Spain's Fernando Verdasco (No. 31), Belarus' Max Mirnyi (No. 33) and Belgium's Xavier Malisse (No. 39). Other players include Britain's fast-rising-star Andy Murray, Australia's 2003 Wimbledon finalist Mark Philippoussis, 2004 American Olympic silver medalist Mardy Fish, and 2000 and 2004 American Olympian Vince Spadea.

Individual Tennis Channel Open tickets and ticket packages can be purchased at 888-TCO-TIXS (888-826-8497) or www.tennischannelopen.com. In the Las Vegas area, tennis fans can buy tickets at Station Casinos, Fiesta Properties, Galleria Mall and the Thomas & Mack Center at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. UNLV Tickets is handling ticket sales for the tournament.

The Tennis Channel Open has been dubbed "Tennispalooza," with the men's competition serving as the centerpiece of a multifaceted gathering of events that focus on tennis and the lifestyle of its enthusiasts. Plans include men's, women's and juniors' tournaments, surrounded by other events that feature amateur and professional tennis players. Founded in 1986, the ATP tournament was previously held in Scottsdale, Ariz., and has played host to most of the game's greatest stars. The network held programming rights for three years prior to its acquisition of the event in 2005. In the 2005 Tennis Channel Open at Scottsdale, Wayne Arthurs of Australia captured his first ATP singles championship by defeating Coatia's Mario Ancic 7-5, 6-3 in the final.