Tennis champ Kafelnikov in full swing

MOST of the European Tour’s better name players are absent from the Cadillac Russian Open but there is one world champion on show - former tennis champion Yevgeny Kafelnikov.

A clash with the fourth major of the year - the USPGA - means this co-sanctioned event between the European and Challenge Tours at the Le Meridien Moscow Country Club does not have that star quality but at least Kafelnikov brings interest.

The Russian is a former tennis world number one but he has not played competitively for two years, choosing to concentrate on his burgeoning game and, as vice-president of the Russian Golf Federation, promoting the sport in his country.