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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted at 10:55 a.m., Sunday, March 8, 2009

Tennis: Agassi to return to competition in Champion Series event

By HOWARD FENDRICH
AP Tennis Writer

Andre Agassi has at least one more tourney in him.

He will make his return to competitive tournament tennis by participating in the 30-and-over Outback Champions Series event at Surprise, Ariz., in October.

Tour spokesman Randy Walker told The Associated Press on Sunday about Agassi's plans. The tour will make an announcement Monday.

Agassi, who turns 39 next month, retired after playing in the 2006 U.S. Open. He walked away from the game with eight major singles championships and remains one of only five men to complete a career Grand Slam.

He's the first announced member of what will be an eight-player field competing for $150,000 in prize money at the Oct. 8-11 tournament at the Surprise Tennis and Racquet Complex.

To be eligible for the Outback Champions Series, players must have reached at least one final at a Grand Slam tournament, been ranked in the top five or played singles on a Davis Cup title-winning team. Agassi meets all three criteria, including having logged 101 weeks with the ATP's No. 1 ranking, and having helped the United States claim three Davis Cup championships.

Among others who have played on the senior tour this year are Pete Sampras and John McEnroe.

Agassi's participation marks another in a series of returns to the court for him.

World Team Tennis announced last month he will play in two matches for the Philadelphia Freedoms in July.

And Agassi also plans to join his wife, Steffi Graf, along with former touring pros Tim Henman and Kim Clijsters for exhibition matches at the All England Club to test the new retractable roof over Centre Court on May 17, five weeks before Wimbledon starts.