Tennis factbox for Athens 2004

ATHENS, July 13 (Reuters) -- Factbox on tennis at the August 13-29 Athens Olympics:

HISTORY

Men's tennis was included in the first modern Olympics in 1896 when the singles was one by John Boland, an Anglo-Irish student who was on holiday in Athens at the time and was entered for the tournament by a Greek friend. Boland also won the doubles with German Fredrich Traun when Traun's partner fell ill.

Women's events were introduced in 1900 at the Paris Games. The first winner was Briton Charlotte Cooper, who had already won three Wimbledon titles and became the first female champion of the modern Games in any sport. There was no women's tournament at the 1904 Games in St Louis.

Tennis was withdrawn from the Olympics in 1928 because of a dispute about the definition of amateurism.

It returned as a demonstration sport at the 1984 Los Angeles Games and was reinstated as a medals sport in Seoul in 1988.

Mixed doubles featured in six editions of the Games in the early 1900s but has not been included since 1924.

To be eligible to compete in the Olympics, players must have made themselves available for their country's Davis Cup or Fed Cup teams.

EVENTS

Men's and women's singles (draws of 64)

Men's and women's doubles (draws of 32)

2000 CHAMPIONS

Men's singles: Yevgeny Kafelnikov (Russia)

Women's singles: Venus Williams (U.S.)

Men's doubles: Sebastien Lareau/Daniel Nestor (Canada)

Women's doubles: Serena Williams/Venus Williams (U.S.)

OLYMPIC PROGRAMME

August 15: First round, all events

August 16: First round, all events

August 17: First round, women's doubles

<_TABLE><2>

Second round, men's and women's singles, men's

doubles

August 18: Second round, women's doubles

Third round, men's and women's singles

Quarter-finals, men's doubles

August 19: Quarter-finals, men's and women's singles,

women's doubles

Semi-finals, men's doubles

August 20: Semi-finals, men's and women's singles, women's

doubles

Bronze-medal match, men's doubles

August 21: Bronze-medal match, men's and women's singles,

women's doubles

Final, men's doubles

Final, women's singles

August 22: Final, men's singles

Final, women's doubles

VENUES

Olympic Tennis Centre in the main Athens Olympic complex.

The Centre Court has 8,615 seats and two other courts have 7,663 seats. Seven other courts with 200 seats will also be used.

The tournament will be played outdoors on a hardcourt surface.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE

www.itftennis.com

Copyright 2004 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.