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ATP WORLD TOUR TOP‐10 PLAYER GAËL MONFILS AND ACCEPT WILD CARD BERTHS INTO LEGG MASON CLASSIC, AN ATP WORLD TOUR 500 AND OLYMPUS US OPEN SERIES TOURNAMENT, JULY 30‐AUGUST 7

WASHINGTON, DC (6 July 2011) – Gaël Monfils, ranked No. 7 on the South African Airways ATP World Tour Singles Rankings, and Fernando Verdasco, ranked No. 23, have received Wild Card berths for the 2011 Legg Mason Tennis Classic presented by GEICO, an ATP World Tour 500 and Olympus US Open Series event. Monfils brings the number of current Top 10 players to three ‐ joining leading Americans, , No. 8 and three‐time champion , No. 10. The Legg Mason Tennis Classic takes place July 30 through August 7 at the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center (16th & Kennedy Streets, NW) and benefits the Washington Tennis & Education Foundation which seeks to improve the life prospects for DC area youth.

Monfils, a steady Top 15 player for the past several years, has achieved his highest ranking to date post‐ Wimbledon, having cracked the Top 10 earlier this year. The world’s No. 1 junior in 2004 with titles at the , Roland Garros and Wimbledon, he was the ATP Newcomer of the Year in 2005, ascended rapidly in the rankings to become a consistent marquee name, thrilling crowds with his impressive athleticism, remarkable shot selection and inspiring enthusiasm for the game.

He reached the quarterfinals at Roland Garros, upsetting in five sets before falling to , and followed that up with a semifinal appearance at Halle. Earlier this year, he was a semifinalist at San Jose. In 2010, Monfils helped France to the final, and his personal‐high 46 match wins included reaching the semifinals or better six times. He captured his third career title at Montpelier in his native France.

While Monfils rocketed into the upper echelons of the sport, Verdasco enjoyed a steady climb after turning pro, but he garnered international attention at the start of the 2009 season when he reached the Brisbane final, then the Australian Open semifinals, falling in five‐sets to , a match that has achieved “classic” status and a finish that moved him into the Top 10 for the first time in his career. In fact, the native compiled his best career season by finishing in the Top 10 for 2009 and again in 2010. His five career ATP singles titles include two last year – at Barcelona and San Jose. This year, he reached the finals at San Jose once again, as well as at Estoril.

Including the aforementioned, this year’s Legg Mason Tennis Classic field features eight of the current Top 25 players in the world, including defending champion and No. 21 ; No. 12 Jurgen Melzer, No. 16 , and 2010 runner‐up (), No. 24. Rising stars and , as well as 2007 runner‐up , 2004 champion Lleyton

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Hewitt, 2002 champion & 2005 runner‐up , 2003 runner‐up Fernando Gonzalez are also expected to play.

Three Singles Main Draw wildcards have now been given (Hewitt, Monfils and Verdasco). As always, the player list is subject to change due to injury and other unforeseen circumstances.

Ticket packages for the Legg Mason Tennis Classic can be purchased through the tournament hotline at 202.721.9500. Single session tickets are available through all Ticketmaster outlets. For more information on the Legg Mason Tennis Classic presented by GEICO, please visit the tournament Website at leggmasontennisclassic.com, follow the Legg Mason Tennis Classic on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/dcatptennis, or call 202.721.9500.

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About The WTEF The Washington Tennis & Education Foundation (WTEF) was founded in 1955 as an organization designed to help disadvantaged youth through tennis. Since then, it has evolved into an organization that provides academic help to at‐risk children, by helping them to apply the lessons learned on the in the classroom and beyond. Today, WTEF is a leader in the best practice of providing academic enrichment, supplemented by tennis and life skills instruction, as a means for developing the skills necessary to achieve academic and personal success. WTEF seeks to improve the life prospects of DC area youth, particularly those from low‐income communities, through tennis, educational, and community‐building activities that teach discipline, build confidence, and improve academic performance. www.wtef.org

About Legg Mason Legg Mason is a global asset management firm, with $671 billion in assets under management as of May 31, 2011. The Company provides active asset management in many major investment centers throughout the world. Legg Mason is headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, and its common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (symbol: LM).

About Lagardère Unlimited A division of the Lagardère Group dedicated to Sport and Entertainment, Lagardère Unlimited is one of the world leaders in this sector. Lagardère Unlimited deploys its expertise in six complementary business lines: ‐ Distribution of media rights (UEFA EURO 2012™ in 49 territories in Asia and Oceania, the in Sochi 2014 and Rio 2016 in 40 European territories…); ‐ Sale of sports rights and marketing products (14 football clubs of the League 1, and the Bundesliga in France and Germany…); ‐ Production, organization and management of events (including the Rock Opera Mozart, "Elle en scène", the Legg Mason Tennis Classic and the Dextro Energy Triathlon London); ‐ Consulting in the management/operation of stadiums, sports grounds and show venues (the Zénith in Paris); ‐ Representation of sports and arts/entertainment personalities (over 250 talents represented, including Joakim Noah, Reggie Bush, Andy Roddick, Caroline Wozniacki, Dwight Howard, Sébastien Chabal and Megan Alexander); ‐ Management of sports training academies (Lagardère Paris Racing* in Paris, the Saddlebrook Academy** in the United States). Lagardère Unlimited employs over 1,000 people, and its activity extends over three continental zones: North and South America, Europe and Africa, and Asia‐Pacific and the Middle East. *SASP Lagardère Paris Racing Ressources ** 30% owned by Lagardère Unlimited For more information on Lagardère Unlimited, visit www.lagardere‐unlimited.com