Contacts:

For Immediate Release

WORLD’S NO. 1 BRYAN BROTHERS, TENNIS LEGEND NAVRATILOVA HEADLINE SHRIVER’S CHARITY TENNIS CHALLENGE

Baltimore, October 5 – Tournament Chairman and Founder, Pam Shriver, announced that the world’s No. 1 ranked doubles team, American twin brothers, Bob and Mike Bryan along with legendary star and International Tennis Hall of Famer, Martina Navratilova—will headline an all-star cast of the greatest names in tennis returning to Baltimore’s 1st Mariner Arena on December 6, 2006.

Shriver’s 2006 Mercantile Tennis Challenge presented by The Baltimore Sun also will feature 2004 Olympic Tennis Silver Medalist Mardy Fish and rising American star Robby Ginepri, who will square-off in the evening’s feature singles match and will team together to battle the Bryans in the Northrop Grumman Legends doubles match. Navratilova, arguably the greatest tennis champion of all-time, will be reunited with partner Bob Bryan, who together recently captured the 2006 US Open mixed doubles crown, her 59th and final Grand Slam title before announcing her retirement at Flushing Meadows. The pair will join Mike Bryan and another announced player to compete in the Orioles Challenge match, showcasing hometown sports heroes from the Orioles and Ravens as the evening’s grand finale.

“We are excited to be showcasing such an exciting group of both young and veteran players,” Shriver said. “From top to bottom, this may be the most talented group of players we have assembled for one night. These guys are the new young American guns of tennis and Baltimore fans will be impressed with their skills and ability. With Martina Navratilova you have one of the greatest athletes in sports history. It will be especially nice that we’ll be able to end her retirement year with a special tribute that my former partner so richly deserves.”

-More-

“Pam always delivers exceptional world-class talent for the Tennis Challenge, and this year is no exception,” said Edward (Ned) J. Kelly III, Chairman, President and CEO of Mercantile Bankshares Corporation. “We share Pam’s commitment to making a difference in the community and are delighted to return as the title sponsor.”

Mercantile Bankshares Corporation, with more than $17 billion in assets, is a regional multibank holding company with headquarters in Baltimore, Maryland. It is comprised of Mercantile-Safe Deposit and Trust Company, 10 community banks and a mortgage banking company. Its 11 banks serve communities in Maryland, Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia, the Delmarva Peninsula and southern Pennsylvania from a network of more than 235 offices and 250 ATMs. The Investment & Wealth Management division has assets under administration in excess of $41 billion, with management responsibility for more than $20 billion of these assets.

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 through the Tennis Challenge Fund at the BCF. This year marks the 21st annual Charity Tennis Challenge, one of the region’s premier charitable sporting events, thanks to the continued support of Mercantile Bankshares Corporation, The Baltimore Sun, Northrop Grumman, the Baltimore Orioles and many other loyal sponsors and contributors. Since the event’s inception in 1986, the event has attracted more than 100,000 spectators and last year, surpassed the $4 million mark in charitable funds raised for various children’s causes.

Tickets for the 2006 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, all TicketMaster outlets, via TicketMaster PhoneCharge at 410-547-SEAT (7328) or online at www.tennischallenge.org. Additional ticket and sponsorship information can be obtained by calling the Tournament Office at 410/296-2929 or also via www.tennischallenge.org.

###