Jo-Wilfried Tsonga: Nottingham date confirmed for French star

Tsonga has twice reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon

Former world number five and two-time Wimbledon semi-finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will play at the new ATP World Tour event in Nottingham in June.

The 30-year-old, now ranked 14th in the world, has won 11 career titles.

Tsonga reached the Australian Open final in 2008, the Wimbledon semi-finals in 2011 and 2012 and the French Open semi-final in 2013.

"I am really excited. The grass court season is a very special time of year for me," the Frenchman said.

Grass court specialist Feliciano Lopez of Spain and British number two James Ward have already been confirmed for the tournament, which begins on 22 June, the week before Wimbledon.

The former Nottingham Open, a men's tournament held at the city's tennis centre, folded in 2008 after 14 years as a warm-up event for the sport's only Grand Slam to be played on grass.

Meanwhile, it was announced in December that the East Midlands venue will also stage a WTA women's tournament in from 8-14 June.