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PRESS RELEASE
Hewitt To Play First Atlanta Tennis Championships, July 19-25
Atlanta, GA – Wednesday, March 10, 2010 – Former No. 1 player Lleyton Hewitt is joining the growing list of tennis stars committed to play the first Atlanta Tennis Championships July 19-25. The Atlanta event, owned and operated by USTA Southern, will serve as the kick-off to the 2010 Olympus US Open Series.
The two-time Grand Slam winner reached the pinnacle of tennis in November 2001 and reigned atop the ATP World Tour rankings for 75 weeks. Hewitt won the 2001 US Open, 2002 Wimbledon and the 2001 and 2002 Tennis Masters Cups. The hard-working Australian has captured 27 tour titles, the most recent coming last year in Houston.
Known for his fiery personality and nickname “Rusty,” the redheaded Hewitt brings his distinctive fist pump and bravado to Atlanta for the first time. Hewitt is often labeled the ultimate counterpuncher, scoring with penetrating ground strokes, quick court coverage and a scrappy, do-or-die personality. He is presently ranked No. 24 in the world.
Hewitt joins Americans John Isner, James Blake and Robby Ginepri, of Kennesaw, Ga., as the tennis professionals who have committed to play the 2010 Atlanta Tennis Championships.
This past weekend No. 20 Isner represented the United States during its Davis Cup tie versus Serbia. He reached the final at the Regions Morgan Keegan Championships in Memphis in February. The former University of Georgia All-American has won more than $1,180,000 in his career. Blake, the long-time American tennis star, has been ranked as high as No. 4 in the world. Blake has won 10 ATP titles, including the 2006 Indianapolis tournament, which the Atlanta tournament is replacing. He started his career in 2000 and has been a Davis Cup stalwart for the American team. Ginepri, who lives in the metro Atlanta city of Kennesaw, Ga., was the first player to agree to play the tournament. He reached a career high No. 15 in 2005 after reaching the US Open semifinals.
The Atlanta Athletic Club, Johns Creek, Ga., will be the tournament site. USTA Southern purchased the sanction for the ATP World Tour 250 tournament last December.
Premium tickets went on sale Tuesday, Feb. 16 at 9 a.m. ET. Other tickets will be available in March. For an order form or other ticket info, call (678) 527-2138 or email tickets@atlantatennischampionships.com. The tournament web site is www.atlantatennischampionships.com.
The USTA is the national governing body for the sport of tennis in the U.S. and the leader in promoting and developing the growth of tennis at every level – from local communities to the highest level of the professional game. It owns and operates the US Open, the largest annually attended sporting event in the world, and launched the Olympus US Open Series linking 10 summer tournaments to the US Open. In addition, it owns the 90 Pro Circuit events throughout the U.S., and selects the teams for the Davis Cup, Fed Cup, Olympic and Paralympic games. A not-for-profit organization with more than 730,000 members, it invests 100 percent of its proceeds in growing the game. It is divided into 17 sections, of which USTA Southern is the largest. The 185,000+ USTA members living in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee make up USTA Southern, and account for approximately 25 percent of the total USTA membership. The section owns and operates the Atlanta Tennis Championships, an ATP World Tour 250 tournament. A professional staff housed in Norcross, Ga., carries out USTA Southern’s daily operations, but policy is formed and much of the organization’s work is executed via a board and committee structure of over 200 volunteers. For more information about the types of programs and services offered by USTA Southern, visit www.southerntennis.com.
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Media Contact:
Ron Cioffi, USTA Southern
770-368-8200 x112
cioffi@sta.usta.com
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