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NEWPORT, R.I. - It took him 20 years to win a title and now he never wants to give it back, that's why one of professional tennis' most eloquent spokesman and gentleman Fabrice Santoro will be returning to the International Tennis Hall of Fame Championships.

"Twenty years, that counts for something in a lifetime," said the Frenchman via a conference call of winning his first career singles title in Newport in 2007 and holding up the VanAlen Cup again last summer. But after two decades of wandering the globe, Santoro is making 2009 his curtain call.

Nicknamed "The Magician" by Pete Sampras for his deft touch and volleys, a dinosaur style in the world of modern tennis, Santoro may not have the power and not always the legs to compete with the young blasters on the tour. But, he will head to the City by the Sea for the July 6-12 series as the No. 37 ranked player in the world.

At 36 years, nine months of age, Santoro is the oldest player among the ATP top 100 rankings. He has earned nearly $9-million since turning pro in 1989 and is bidding for his best paycheck of the season, seeking the biggest dispersal of the $500,000 slotted to be shared by the 32 players in the field for the oldest grass court tennis tournament in America.

"My game style was out of date when I arrived on tour," said Santoro. "I got on the tour in the nineties, and my style dated back to the seventies. So managing to get good performances for 20 years when you're 20 years late ... that's the beauty of my career." The beauty of Santoro's game is in carefully angled shots, sliced returns, the dipsy-doodles which are enhanced by the always suspecting bounce of the tennis ball on grass.

Santoro took a chance in coming to Newport two years ago, hoping to take a few wins, earn a few points and improve his ranking. Instead, Santoro has been untouchable on the grass beside Bellevue Avenue, not just winning all nine of matches over two years, but winning 18 of the 19 sets that he has contested.

"It's all about consistency," said Santoro, who has an 8-9 record this season on the tour, most recently losing in the second round at Wimbledon to Juan Carlos Ferrero, his curtain call at the All England Club.

Santoro showed flashes of the deft touch that has delighted the Wimbledon crowd for the last 14 years. He won the first set in a tiebreaker (7-1), but then lost the next three sets 3, 4 and 3. Santoro saved 10 of 11 break points in the first set.

"I played well at least for the first hour and a quarter," he said. "But he played better."

Santoro was playing an Open era record 68th Grand Slam event and 44th consecutive major. He beat No. 33 Nicolas Kiefer in the first round.

After the match on the new Court 2, he reflected on the changes at Wimbledon since his debut there two decades ago, the most notable being that the courts have become slower.

"When I started my career on court No. 10 in 1989, I did not imagine at all that I would hold the microphone in my hands 20 years later," Santoro said in a post-match interview.

Santoro also recently lost to No. 1 ranked Rafael Nadal at the French Open.

Santoro will have a tough task in taking his third Newport title as the field includes 14 top 100 players, including No. 24 Mardy Fish, No. 46 Sam Querry and No. 49 Arnaud Clement. In addition, former champions Taylor Dent (2002) and Robbie Ginepri (2003) are entered along with No. 98 Vince Spadea, making his eighth Newport appearance, and 2008 finalist Prakash Amritraj. The International Tennis Hall of Fame Championships benefited this season by a change in the ATP World Tour which moved the Swedish and Swiss Opens up a week to accommodate the International Tennis Federations's Davis Cup matches. Newport petitioned the ATP to keep its calendar date, the week after Wimbledon, thus anyone not playing Davis Cup was welcome to come through the door.

"Playing the matches is not tough - it's the training, the traveling," said Santoro, wishing to spend more quality time with his family. Also, in two decades of touring, Santoro has amassed a vast and diverse collection of tennis memorabilia, which he will present for his next project, his very own tennis museum at his home in Geneva, Switzerland.

"I have the same passion for the game as 15 years ago, maybe more," said Santoro. "The ball stays much lower (at Newport). I said it after my first time winning there, that I have a chance."