Rusedski takes the title at Gleneagles
Former British No.1clinches Brodies Invitational
Big-serving Greg Rusedski got the better of Thomas Enqvist to be crowned champion at the Brodies Invitational in front of packed stands at the Gleneagles Arena.
The former British number one clinched the title with a 6- 3, 6- 4 win over the Swede in a thrilling finale to the two-day legends tournament, held over Friday and Saturday, organised by Brodies LLP and hosted at Gleneagles Hotel.
The finalists were joined by former world number one Mats Wilander, onetime world number 19 Xavier Malisse and Scotland’s national coach Colin Fleming.
More than 1000 tennis fans also enjoyed appearances by Wimbledon favourite Tim Henman and former Fed Cup Captain Judy Murray, who shared their expertise with players and families.
For the first time this year, the Brodies Invitational was part of the ATP Champions Tour – a global tournament for former champions that spans London, Mexico City, Seoul, Stockholm and Palma de Mallorca.
The event also raised money for Maggie’s cancer care centres and Cancer Research UK.
Rusedski said: “It’s been a long time since I won one of these ATP Champions Tour events.
“It’s nice to be back in the winning circle but for me it’s all about being with friends on the tour again.
“It’s great to play in a tournament with Thomas, Mats, Xavier and Colin, and Tim was here as well.
“I am thrilled to have won but it’s also about taking part
“Brodies and Gleneagles deserve a Champions Tour event, having run this tournament for a number of years.
“Every year it gets better and better and this year we had packed crowds. What more could you want?”
Bill Drummond, managing partner of Brodies, said: “It’s been just great to see the legends in action again and I’ve really enjoyed watching Greg, Mats, Thomas, Xavier and Colin, as well as some of Scotland’s rising tennis stars, show off their skills on the court.
“The addition of the ATP Champions Tour this year has certainly given the event an extra competitive edge, something these great athletes clearly relish.
“I hope that everyone who has attended over the past two days has enjoyed the tournament and the opportunity to watch tennis stars compete in a world-class location.
“I would like to thank all the players for entertaining us with their skills, and I’d also like to thank the tennis fans who attended and helped to make this year’s Brodies Invitational another great success.”
Jan Felgate, CEO of the ATP Champions Tour, said: “We are delighted that the Brodies Invitational has been a great success during its first year as part of the ATP Champions Tour.
“The ATP Champions Tour spans many iconic locations across the globe and Gleneagles was an ideal venue to capture the excitement and lively atmosphere of the competition.”
The tournament also encouraged grassroots involvement in the game, with Judy Murray delivering a family fun tennis session to competition winners as part of her Tennis on the Road programme.