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The adidas International is staged in Sydney, but will feature a Spanish flavor in January. Tennis Masters Cup runner-up Juan Carlos Ferrero has joined compatriots Carlos Moya and Albert Costa in committing to the Australian Open tune-up tournament, which is scheduled for January 5-11th, 2003.
The 22-year-old Roland Garros runner-up pushed defending champion Lleyton Hewitt to five sets before falling to Hewitt in the final of yesterday's Tennis Masters Cup, 7-5, 7-5, 2-6, 2-6, 6-4.
Tournament organizers believe they have assembled one of the strongest fields in the history of the adidas International. In addition to the Spanish trio, former No. 1 Marat Safin and Americans Andy Roddick and James Blake will play in the eight-man event.
Three of the seven confirmed starters in the tournament — Costa, Moya and Safin — are former Grand Slam champions.
The top-ranked Hewitt — who started and ended the 2001 season with Sydney triumphs, winning the adidas International and ending the year by capturing the Tennis Masters Cup in Sydney — will not play the event in January. Hewitt will instead compete at the Hopman Cup. Last January, Hewitt contracted a case of the chicken pox, which contributed to his upset loss to Alberto Martin in the opening-round of the Australian Open. In an effort to save his strength for the one Slam in which he has never reached the quarterfinals, Hewitt has reduced his January schedule.
The 22-year-old Roland Garros runner-up pushed defending champion Lleyton Hewitt to five sets before falling to Hewitt in the final of yesterday's Tennis Masters Cup, 7-5, 7-5, 2-6, 2-6, 6-4.
Tournament organizers believe they have assembled one of the strongest fields in the history of the adidas International. In addition to the Spanish trio, former No. 1 Marat Safin and Americans Andy Roddick and James Blake will play in the eight-man event.
Three of the seven confirmed starters in the tournament — Costa, Moya and Safin — are former Grand Slam champions.
The top-ranked Hewitt — who started and ended the 2001 season with Sydney triumphs, winning the adidas International and ending the year by capturing the Tennis Masters Cup in Sydney — will not play the event in January. Hewitt will instead compete at the Hopman Cup. Last January, Hewitt contracted a case of the chicken pox, which contributed to his upset loss to Alberto Martin in the opening-round of the Australian Open. In an effort to save his strength for the one Slam in which he has never reached the quarterfinals, Hewitt has reduced his January schedule.
