Moya To Make Champions Tour Debut In Bogota

© AFP/Getty ImagesFormer World No. 1 Carlos Moya won the 1998 Roland Garros title.

Former World No. 1 Carlos Moya will launch his ATP Champions Tour career at the second annual Seguros Bolivar Tennis Champions in Bogota, Colombia, next month (May 19-22).

The 34 year-old, who only retired from the ATP World Tour in November of last year, revealed on his Twitter feed yesterday that it was the lure of competition which had prompted his decision to join the ATP Champions Tour, and the clay courts of Bogota’s Palacio de los Deportes are the perfect place for him to make his much-anticipated debut.

During his 15 years on the ATP World Tour, Moya reached three of the greatest heights in the sport, winning a Grand Slam singles title at Roland Garros in 1998, reaching World No. 1 the following year, and helping Spain to win the 2004 Davis Cup title.

Visit ATP Champions Tour Website

The Spaniard also used the medium of Twitter this week to respond with fighting talk when asked whether he would pose a threat to the dominant forces on the ATP Champions Tour - Thomas Enqvist, who topped the year-end rankings in 2010 and current South African Airways Rankings leader Mark Philippoussis. When asked if he could beat them, Moya replied: "Absolutely."

Moya will have to reach the final if he is to take on either Philippoussis or defending champion Enqvist in Bogotoa, as the Spaniard has been drawn in to Group A alongside fellow French Open Champion Yevgeny Kafelnikov, former World No. 1 Marcelo Rios and Colombian Mario Rincon. Group B will see Enqvist and Philippoussis pitted against Colombian Maurcio Hadad as well as ‘The Little Magician’ Fabrice Santoro, another player making his ATP Champions Tour debut at the event.

Matches are played over the best of three sets, with a Champions’ Tie-break (first to 10 points with a clear advantage of two) to decide the winner. After all round-robin matches are complete, the top two players in each group will meet in Tuesday's final.

After Bogota The ATP Champions Tour will continue its South America swing in Sao Paulo, Brazil for the Grand Champions Brasil at the Sociedade Harmonia de Ténis (May 26-29).