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Former champs Haas, Nishikori to return to Delray ITC

By Palm Beach Business.com

DELRAY BEACH — Former champions Tommy Haas and Kei Nishikori have signed on to play in the 2013 Delray Beach International Tennis Championship, giving the tournament five former champions in its ATP World Tour field.

Haas, the 2006 champion, and Nishikori, the 2008 champion will join Mardy Fish (2009) and the world's top-ranked doubles duo of Mike and Bob Bryan (2009, 2010) in returning to the Delray tournament. Top-ranked American John Isner also has committed to the field.

"We will see more Top 20 players on the courts in Delray Beach in 2013 than any other year in our history," tournament Director Mark Baron said.

Two ATP Champions Tour event champions, Carlos Moya (2012) and Mark Philippoussis (2011), also will return to the Delray Beach event.

Haas won the ATP's 2012 Comeback Player of the Year award, finishing No. 21 in the world after dropping to No. 896 in 2010 following hip surgery. He won his 13th career ATP title and capped the season with his 500th career ATP win.

Nishikori finished 2012 with a 37-18 singles record and a career-high No. 19 ranking. He won his second ATP title at the Rakuten Japan Open in Tokyo and reached the quarterfinals in the Australian Open and the London Olympics.

Nishikori, pictured above in his 2011 match against James Blake, is one of two qualifiers to win ITC titles in tournament history.