By Shannon Russell
The Cincinnati Enquirer

The 60th annual Thomas E. Price Cincinnati Metropolitan Tennis Tournament begins at 6 p.m. today with first-round men's singles matches at Lunken Playfield. The tournament runs until July 20 and admission is free until the finals weekend.

No former Met champions are competing in the men's singles title race. Madeira resident Cedric Kauffmann, who lost to Pete Sampras in the 2001 French Open, is the top seed.

Sixty-four men will compete tonight in 32 matches. Sixteen of the 112 men's players are seeded and will receive first-round byes; the second round begins Friday.

Women's singles action begins at 10 a.m. Sunday. Top seed Tanya Luzhanska returns to the tournament for the first time since winning it in 2001. Luzhanska was hampered by injuries last year and did not enter.

Men's and women's doubles teams are invited to register until 4 p.m. today; cost is $30 per team. Call 321-1772 for more information. Doubles play starts Saturday.