TournamenT noTes as of april 5, 2010 BATON ROUGE PRO TENNIS CLASSIC BATON ROUGE, LA • APRIL 10-18 USTA PRO CIRCUIT MEN’S EVENT IN BATON ROUGE FOR SIXTH YEAR TournamenT InFormaTIon The Baton Rouge Pro Tennis Classic is the third Challenger on the 2010 USTA Pro USTA Site: Lamar Tennis Center at the Paula G. Manship Circuit, following Honolulu and Dallas, and YMCA – Baton Rouge, La. is the only men’s USTA Pro Circuit event held in Louisiana. (A women’s $25,000 Websites: www.brprotennisclassic.com event was held in Hammond, La., in early procircuit.usta.com March.) The Pro Tennis Classic is in its sixth Facebook: Baton Rouge Pro Tennis Classic year on the USTA Pro Circuit and third year as a Challenger. It debuted in 2004 but Twitter: @BRProTennis2010 was not held in 2005, and upgraded from Qualifying draw begins: Saturday, April 10 a $15,000 Futures event to a $50,000 Challenger in 2008. Main draw begins: Monday, April 12 Main Draw: 32 Singles / 16 Doubles This year’s impressive main draw features four-time ATP World Tour singles titlist Former world No. 21 Taylor Dent, who is Surface: Hard / Outdoor and new father Taylor Dent, who climbed making a comeback on the tour after back Prize Money: $50,000 to a career-high No. 21 in 2005, but surgery in 2007, reached the third round of then endured a lingering back injury that the 2009 US Open and has returned to the Tournament Director: eventually required surgery and sidelined Top 100. Kay Willson, (225) 936-4577, him for two full years. Dent has utilized the [email protected] USTA Pro Circuit in his comeback, winning three $50,000 Challengers titles, rebuilding Marat Safin to advance to the third round. Tournament Press Contact: Levine also reached the second round of the Tim Rodrigue, (225) 439-3065, his ATP ranking (No. 76 at year-end 2009) and reaching the third round of the 2009 2009 US Open. [email protected] US Open. USTA Public Relations Contacts: Others expected in the main draw include Robert Kendrick, who regularly competes Eric Schuster, (914) 696-7260, [email protected] Also expected to compete are last year’s Baton in Grand Slam events and is currently Amanda Korba, (914) 697-2219, [email protected] Rouge doubles champion and singles runner- fourth all-time on the USTA Pro Circuit with up Rajeev Ram, who won his first ATP World Tour singles title last year in Newport, R.I., 11 career singles titles; Ryan Sweeting, PrIze money / PoInTs and is second all-time in USTA Pro Circuit who was the 2005 US Open boys’ singles champion and won his first ATP World Tour SINGLES: Prize Money Ranking Points individual doubles titles at 21; nine-time match of 2010 at the U.S. Men’s Clay Court USTA Pro Circuit singles titlist Kevin Kim, Winner $7,200 80 Championships in Houston last week; and Runner-Up $4,240 48 who peaked to world No. 63 in 2005 after advancing to the third round of the Australian Alex Kuznetsov, who finished second on the Semifinalist $2,510 29 2009 USTA Pro Circuit prize money list and Open; and Jesse Levine, who had his best Quarterfinalist $1,460 15 holds two USTA Pro Circuit singles titles. Round 16 $860 7 showing at a Grand Slam event last year at Wimbledon, defeating then-world No. 24 Round 32 $520 - Also slated to compete in the main draw is DOUBLES: Prize Money (per team) 17-year-old Ryan Harrison, a Shreveport, La., Winner $3,100 USTA native who became just the third 15-year-old Runner-Up $1,800 this decade to win a match on the ATP World Semifinalist $1,080 Tour with his first round win in the 2008 Quarterfinalist $640 U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championships. Last month in the ATP Masters 1000 event in Round 16 $360 Indian Wells, Calif., Harrison defeated Dent communITy eVenTs Sunday, April 11 Bobby Reynolds reached the third round of Kids’ Day, 2-4 p.m. Wimbledon in 2008 shortly after winning the title “Balls on the Bayou” Exhibition, 4-6 p.m. in Baton Rouge that year. Wednesday, April 14 Student Day TournamenT noTes in the first round before losing to eventual champion Ivan Ljubicic. months later, became the youngest man ever to win the NCAA singles Michael Yani, a former Duke University standout and 2009 US Open title (18 years, 2 months). Britton’s NCAA title earned him a wild card and Wimbledon qualifier;Ryler DeHeart, a two-time University of Illinois into the 2009 US Open, where he pushed Roger Federer in the first All-American; and Brendan Evans, a former world No. 4 junior player round. Others anticipated for the qualifying draw are Nicholas Monroe, and now a USTA Pro Circuit regular, are also expected to compete in the a two-time All-American at the University of North Carolina (2003-04) main draw. who reached the quarterfinals of the NCAA Championships in 2004, and 2008 Baton Rouge doubles champion Phillip Simmonds, who won A strong qualifying field is expected to include: the junior doubles title at the 2003 Australian Open and received a wild card into the 2006 US Open. 2008 Baton Rouge doubles champion Tim Smyczek, who reached the junior Wimbledon semifinals and the junior US Open quarterfinals in Many USTA Pro Circuit and ATP World Tour standouts have found 2005; Michael McClune, who won the 2007 USTA Boys’ 18s singles success in Baton Rouge. Bobby Reynolds reached the third round of crown to earn a wild card into the main draw of the US Open; Greg Wimbledon shortly after winning the 2008 Baton Rouge title and also Ouellette, a four-time All-American for the University of Florida who reached the second round of the French Open and US Open that year. peaked at No. 2 in the collegiate rankings his senior year; Eric Nunez, Reynolds ascended to a career-best singles ranking of No. 63 in early who has captured five USTA Pro Circuit titles (three singles); and 6-foot-7 2009 after winning the doubles title in Baton Rouge. Shortly after teenager Alex Domijan, the No. 1 ranked USTA Boys’ 18s junior for winning the doubles title in Baton Rouge last year and reaching the much of 2009. singles final, Ram won his first ATP World Tour title in the 2009 Hall of Fame Championships in Newport, R.I. He defeated fellow American Also expected to headline the qualifying field isDevin Britton, who Sam Querrey in the final, and also captured the doubles title with enrolled at the University of Mississippi in January 2009 and, five partner Jordan Kerr. USTA Rajeev Ram won his first ATP World Tour singles title in Newport, R.I., after winning the doubles title and reaching the singles final in Baton Rouge last year. TournamenT noTes USTA PRO CIRCUIT 30 MILLION PLAYERS With more than 90 tournaments throughout the country and prize money ranging from $10,000 to The USTA Pro Circuit serves as an integral part of the USTA’s $100,000, the USTA Pro Circuit is the pathway to the US Open and tour-level competition for aspiring mission to grow and develop tennis in the United States. In tennis players and a frequent battleground for established professionals. The USTA launched its Pro Circuit November 2009, the USTA and Tennis Industry Association 31 years ago to provide players with the opportunity to gain professional ranking points and has since announced that tennis participation in the United States topped grown to become the largest developmental tennis circuit in the world, offering more than $3 million in 30 million players for the first time in more than two decades prize money. Last year, more than 1,000 men and women from more than 70 countries competed in cities with participation growing in all age groups under the age nationwide. Maria Sharapova, Andy Roddick, James Blake, Andy Murray, Jelena Jankovic, Sam Querrey of 50 and within all ethnicities. Another survey conducted by and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga are among today’s top stars who began their careers on the USTA Pro Circuit. the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association last year also showed that tennis is the only traditional sport to enjoy growth In 2009, the USTA Pro Circuit helped launch in grass-roots participation. John Isner the careers of two young Americans— Melanie Oudin and John Isner. Oudin began 2009 ranked No. 177, but climbed NJTL the rankings by winning back-to-back $50,000 USTA Pro Circuit events. With a Cities across the country participate in the USTA/National Junior boost in confidence, she reached the fourth Tennis and Learning (NJTL) network, a nationwide network of round of Wimbledon and the quarterfinals community tennis organizations seeking to develop the character of the 2009 US Open. She is now the No. 3 of young people through both tennis and education. Founded American woman behind Venus and Serena by Arthur Ashe in 1969, more than 550 registered chapters/ Williams. Isner joined the USTA Pro Circuit programs exist throughout the nation with more than 220,000 after turning pro in 2007 and jump-started participants ages 6-18, making NJTL one of the USTA’s largest the best season of his career by winning community-based initiatives. the Tallahassee Challenger last year. Subsequently, he reached the semifinals at two Olympus US Open Series events and US OPEN NATIONAL Playoff upset Andy Roddick en route to the fourth round at the 2009 US Open. This year, Isner The USTA is holding its first-ever captured his first tour title and reached US Open National Playoff to provide an the fourth round of the Australian Open to opportunity for anyone age 14 or older to become the No.