Nadal, Roddick, Murray Back & Ready to Go

World Number Two Rafael Nadal, three-time Artois champion Andy Roddick and Britain’s leading player Andy Murray will return to The Artois Championships in June with renewed vigour.

Nadal arrived in London in 2006 as the French Open champion, and within 24 hours of lifting the Roland Garros winners’ trophy he began practicing at the Queen’s Club on grass courts that are widely acknowledged by the players as the best in tennis. Three weeks later, Nadal reached the Wimbledon final.

Roddick sought the help of two-time Artois winner Jimmy Connors last August and almost immediately reached the US Open final. Connors has since coached Roddick back into the World’s top five.

Murray, 19, also acquired the services of a big-name coach last summer when he joined forces with Brad Gilbert. The Scot then reached the final at Washington, the semi-finals in Toronto and the last 16 at the US Open. He is now ranked inside the world’s top 15, and, as he proved in a stunning five-set match against Nadal in the last 16 of the Australian Open in January, quite capable of challenging the very best players in the world.

Defending Artois champion Lleyton Hewitt and Britain’s Tim Henman will also return, as will top-ten player Ivan Ljubicic and one of the success-stories of the season so far – Fernando Gonzalez.

Gonzalez produced a string of sensational performances to reach the final of the year’s first Grand Slam tournament in Melbourne. With coach Larry Stefanki guiding him, he will be looking to build on last year’s quarterfinal appearance at The Artois Championships.

A raft of young guns will also be out to make their mark, with 19-year-old Novak Djokovic and 20-year-old Gael Monfils joining Murray and his older brother Jamie, who won back to back doubles titles last month, and has also confirmed his entry into The Artois Championships.