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For Immediate Release

TENNIS LEGENDS McENROE, COURIER AND NAVRATILOVA HEADLINE 20th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION OF SHRIVER'S CHARITY TENNIS CHALLENGE

Baltimore, September 12 - Tournament Chairman and Founder, Pam Shriver announced that three International Tennis Hall of Famer's and former world No. 1 ranked tennis superstars-John McEnroe, Jim Courier and Martina Navratilova-will headline an all-star cast of the greatest names in tennis returning to Baltimore's 1st Mariner Arena on November 14, 2005. The 20th Anniversary of the Mercantile Tennis Challenge presented by The Baltimore Sun will include a feature men's singles match between McEnroe and Courier and a women's singles match between Navratilova and another opponent to be announced later. Each of the stars also will be competing in the Northrop Grumman Legends mixed doubles match and the Orioles Challenge match showcasing hometown sports heroes from the Orioles and Ravens playing with and against the tennis professionals as the evening's grand finale.

Collectively, this legendary tennis trio has amassed more than 79 Grand Slam titles, including 28 Wimbledon, 23 US Open, 14 French and 14 Australian Open titles. They also have combined for more than 525 career titles and have spent more than 1,050 weeks ranked No. 1 in the world.

The 2005 Charity Tennis Challenge, the area's premier charitable sporting event will celebrate its 20th Anniversary in Baltimore thanks to the support of Mercantile Bankshares Corporation, The Baltimore Sun, Northrop Grumman, the Baltimore Orioles and many other loyal sponsors and contributors. The event has attracted more than 100,000 spectators and raised nearly $4 million dollars for children's charities during its history.

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"Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the Tennis Challenge is something I never imagined in my wildest dreams," Shriver said.  "Over the years, everyone has really come together to support bringing world-class tennis to Baltimore to help our community.  We couldn't have achieved our level of success or longevity without the generous support of so many corporations, organizations and individuals-and for that I will always be extremely grateful.  To be showcasing these talented and legendary tennis icons is really a perfect way to celebrate this special occasion."

"To continue to be able to bring together the best and brightest tennis stars in the world all in the name of charitable giving for nearly 20 years is a great testament to Pam and the citizens of Baltimore," added Edward (Ned) J. Kelly III, Chairman, President & CEO of Mercantile Bankshares Corporation.  "We are delighted to continue as the title sponsor of the Tennis Challenge and look forward to joining together with Pam for many more years to help make a difference in the community."Mercantile Bankshares Corporation, with more than $16 billion in assets, is a regionalmultibank holding company with headquarters in Baltimore, Maryland.  Itsmember banks serve communities in Maryland, Washington,D.C., Northern Virginia, the Delmarva Peninsula and southernPennsylvania from a network of more than 235 offices and 250 ATMs.  TheInvestment &Wealth Management divisionhas assets in excess of $48 billion, with management responsibility for more than $21 billion.  Additional information is available at www.mercantile.com.

The Mercantile Tennis Challenge presented by the Baltimore Sun is played to benefit the Baltimore Community Foundation (BCF), a publicly endowed nonprofit organization that donates proceeds to area children's charities. Since the event's inception in 1986, over $3.7 million has been distributed through the BCF Tennis Challenge Fund to child-related causes.  The Tennis Challenge hopes to break the $4 million threshold to mark the 20th Anniversary.

Tickets for the 2005 Mercantile Tennis Challenge presented by The Baltimore Sun are now on-sale and range in price from $20-$100. Tickets can be purchased at the 1st Mariner Arena Box Office, at 410/347-2010 and all TICKETMASTER locations. To charge by phone, call 410/547-SEAT.  Additional ticket and sponsorship information can be obtained by calling the Tournament Office at 410/296-2929 or via www.tennischallenge.org.    

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