Winston-Salem Open Player Field

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — The Winston-Salem Open at Wake Forest University announced today the player field for the tournament taking place August 18-25, 2012. As of today’s announcement, 38 of the 48 slots have been filled in the men’s singles competition through the ATP’s tournament acceptance process plus James Blake as the first wild card player.

John Isner

According to the ATP, the 39 players slated to compete to the Winston-Salem Open are all ranked in the top 68 in the world. By comparison, last year’s players ranked in the top 81. Twenty-two of the players competing in the Winston-Salem Open are ranked among the ATP top 50. The tournament will add 9 additional players through additional wild cards and several slots that will be determined from qualifying play prior to the tournament. There will be an additional field of 16 doubles teams to be named closer to the tournament.

With the exception of perhaps one other tournament, the Winston-Salem Open has the strongest field of contenders of any tennis tournament in America this summer. The work that everyone associated with the Winston-Salem Open did last year really has paid off,” said tournament director Bill Oakes. “We also believe our field of players is exceptionally strong because many of them will want playing time on a surface like ours between competing on Wimbledon’s grass courts during upcoming Olympics and the U.S. Open, which has a surface like the Winston-Salem Open.”

The players who came to Winston-Salem last year loved playing here and loved our city. Almost immediately after the conclusion of last year’s tournament, several of the players expressed a desire to return in 2012,” he added. “Our expectations for having a world-class professional tennis tournament in Winston-Salem have been fulfilled this year, and I’m thrilled with the field of players who will be competing next month. It’s going to be a great event by all measures.”

Oakes said that he expects the Winston-Salem Open will draw additional strong players through the wild card and qualifying process.

The newly announced players join Kevin Anderson, Julien Benneteau, James Blake, Alexandr Dolgopolov, Marcel Granollers, John Isner, Andy Roddick, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Donald Young who committed earlier this spring and summer. A complete list of the 38 players accepted to the Winston-Salem Open is attached.

Highlights of the player field include:

Feliciano Lopez is currently ranked No. 29, after getting as high as No. 15 in January. He is making his second visit to Winston-Salem after playing doubles for Spain in the Davis Cup matches at Joel Coliseum in 2007. He and Fernando Verdasco lost to the Bryan brothers in four sets. Lopez has two career ATP World Tour titles, the latest at Johannesburg in 2010. Lopez reached the fourth round of the Australian Open this year and was a quarterfinalist at Wimbledon last year.

Viktor Troicki is best known for winning the decisive point in the final match of the 2010 Davis Cup finals between Serbia and France, giving Serbia its first Davis Cup title. He also was part of the Serbian team that won the World Team Championship in Dusseldorf earlier this year. Troicki is currently ranked No. 31 after getting as high as No. 12 last June and has one title in Moscow in 2010.

Denis Istomin is currently ranked a career-high No. 34, after reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon. He has one of the most-powerful serves in tennis. He reached his first ATP World Tour final earlier this year in San Jose, losing to Milos Raonic. He also reached the fourth round at Indian Wells with a victory over world No. 5 David Ferrer.

Pablo Andujar is currently ranked a career-high No. 35. He won the Casablanca title for the second straight year earlier this year and also reached the fourth round at Indian Wells.

Jurgen Melzer is currently ranked No. 36, after reaching a career-best No. 8 in April of 2011. He won earlier this year at Memphis and owns four ATP World Tour singles titles. Has also won 12 doubles titles, including the 2011 US Open with Philipp Petzschner. At the time he reached No. 8 in singles, he was the only player on tour to be ranked in the top 10 in both singles and doubles.

Carlos Berlocq is currently ranked No. 38, after being a career-high 37 two weeks ago. The Argentine reached his first ATP World Tour final at Vina Del Mar in February, losing to Juan Monaco. He also reached the doubles final at Vina Del Mar.

Jarkko Nieminen is currently ranked No. 39, after being as high as No. 13 in 2006. The lefty from Finland got his second career title earlier this year, going through qualifying and eventually beating Julien Benneteau in the finals at Sydney.

Marcos Baghdatis is one of the most-entertaining players on the ATP World Tour. He lost to John Isner in the third round of last year’s Winston-Salem Open but said he had a blast here and was one of the first players to commit this year. Currently ranked No. 40, he has been as high as No. 8 back in 2006, the year he reached the finals of the Australian Open. He owns four career singles titles and one doubles title.

Robin Haase was a semifinalist at last year’s Winston-Salem Open, losing to Julien Benneteau in a third-set tie-break that was probably the most-exciting match of the tournament. He is currently ranked No. 42. He claimed his first career ATP World Tour title last year at Kitzbuhel.

About the Winston-Salem Open

The Winston-Salem Open, an ATP World Tour 250 event with a total purse of $625,000, will take place from August 18-25, 2012, with qualifying set for August 18. The tournament will be the final men’s event of the Emirates Airline US Open Series. For more information on the 2012 Winston-Salem Open, please go to www.winstonsalemopen.com.

About the Emirates Airline US Open Series

Now in its ninth season, the Emirates Airline US Open Series continues to serve as a true regular season of hard court tennis, linking 10 summer tournaments to the US Open. Fans follow the action throughout the summer during national broadcast coverage while players battle for $40 million, including a chance for bonus prize money at the US Open. The Series collectively reached a U.S. television audience of 39 million and drew more than 800,000 on-site fans in 2011. In 2012, Emirates Airline became the title sponsor of the Series, as well as the official airline of the US Open. The Emirates Airline US Open Series is also supported by sponsors American Express, Chase, Citizen Watch Company, Esurance, Evian and Gatorade.

Americans Mardy Fish and Serena Williams swept the 2011 Emirates Airline US Open Series men’s and women’s titles. In 2007, Roger Federer collected the biggest paycheck in tennis history – $2.4 million – for winning the US Open and the Emirates Airline US Open Series. In 2005, Kim Clijsters also captured both the US Open and the Series, winning $2.2 million – the largest purse in women’s sports history – and equaled that amount in 2010, winning the US Open and finishing the Emirates Airline US Open Series in second place.

2012 Winston-Salem Open Player Field

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is currently ranked No. 6 in the world and is coming off a trip to the semifinals at Wimbledon. He has won eight tournaments in his career, including at Doha earlier this year. He burst onto the scene by reaching the final at the Australian Open in 2008. Clearly one of the most-popular players on the ATP World Tour because of his aggressive style and flair. He’s fun to watch.

John Isner is our defending champion, after beating Julien Benneteau in the finals last year. The Greensboro native has shot into the Top Ten in the ATP rankings and currently resides at No. 11. He has put in heroic efforts in U.S. Davis Cup wins over Switzerland and France this spring, beating Roger Federer and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the process. He also beat Novak Djokovic in reaching the final at Indian Wells earlier this year and also reached the finals in Houston.

Alexandr Dolgopolov is currently ranked No. 19, after reaching a career-high No. 13 back in January. He notched his only title at Umag last year, and came close again in January by reaching the finals at Brisbane. Another fun player to watch because of his rapid-fire serve and his unpredictable style.

Marcel Granollers is currently ranked No. 24. He’s a great doubles player and now he is establishing success in singles as well. He won two singles titles last year, at Valencia and Gstaad, to go with seven career doubles titles. He has been ranked as high as No. 5 in doubles and will be Rafael Nadal’s partner in doubles at the London Olympics. Won at Rome earlier this year with Marc Lopez.

Andy Roddick won at Eastbourne last month, marking the 12th straight year that he has won at least one ATP World Tour title. That ties him with Roger Federer for the longest active streak in the game. Roddick also notched his 600th career match win while at Eastbourne, making him one of only 19 players in the Open Era to reach that milestone. He’s a former world No. 1 with 31 career singles titles, and was the star of three U.S. Davis Cup triumphs here in Winston-Salem. He reached the semifinals of last year’s Winston-Salem Open. He is currently ranked No. 27.

Feliciano Lopez is currently ranked No. 29, after getting as high as No. 15 in January. He’s making his second visit to Winston-Salem after playing doubles for Spain in the Davis Cup matches at Joel Coliseum in 2007. He and Fernando Verdasco lost to the Bryan brothers in four sets. Lopez has two career ATP World Tour titles, the latest at Johannesburg in 2010. He reached the fourth round of the Australian Open this year and was a quarterfinalist at Wimbledon last year.

Viktor Troicki is best known for winning the decisive point in the final match of the 2010 Davis Cup finals between Serbia and France, giving Serbia its first Davis Cup title ever. Also part of the Serbian team that won the World Team Championship in Dusseldorf earlier this year. He is currently ranked No. 31 after getting as high as No. 12 last June, and has one title, in Moscow in 2010.

Julien Benneteau wrote one of the most-remarkable stories of the inaugural Winston-Salem Open, going through qualifying and playing nine matches in eight days before losing to John Isner in the finals. He was ranked No. 113 at the time. He has since gone on to a career-best No. 26 and is currently No. 32. Still seeking his first ATP World Tour title after reaching six career finals, including at Sydney earlier this year.

Kevin Anderson is currently ranked No.33, after reaching a career-high No. 28 in March. The 6-8 South African has won two singles titles, winning in his hometown of Johannesburg in 2011 and following that up by beating Andy Roddick and John Isner to win at Delray Beach in February. He was one of the first players to commit to this year’s tournament.

Denis Istomin is currently ranked a career-high No. 34, after reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon. He has one of the most-powerful serves in the game. He reached his first ATP World Tour final earlier this year in San Jose, losing to Milos Raonic. He also reached the fourth round at Indian Wells with a victory over world No. 5 David Ferrer.

Pablo Andujar is currently a career-high No. 35. He won the Casablanca title for the second straight year earlier this year and also reached the fourth round at Indian Wells.

Carlos Berlocq is currently ranked a career-high No. 38, after being a career-high 37 two weeks ago. The Argentine reached his first ATP World Tour final at Vina Del Mar in Feburary, losing to Juan Monaco. He also reached the doubles final at Vina Del Mar.

Marcos Baghdatis is another of the most-entertaining players on the ATP World Tour. He lost to John Isner in the third round of last year’s Winston-Salem Open but said he had a blast here and was one of the first players to commit this year. Currently ranked No. 40, he has been as high as No. 8 back in 2006, the year he reached the finals of the Australian Open. He owns four career singles titles and one doubles title.

Santiago Giraldo is currently ranked No. 43. The 24-year-old Colombian has yet to win his first ATP World Tour title, but he gained a runner-up finish last year at, ironically, Santiago. Went to the semifinals in Acapulco and reached the third round at Roland Garros earlier this year.

Benoit Paire is a fast-rising Frenchman who is currently a career-best No. 47. He beat four higher-ranked opponents to reach the final at Belgrade in April before losing to Andreas Seppi. He reached the semifinals at Hertogenbosch last month.

Mikhail Kukushkin is ranked No. 49, after being as high as No. 49 in June. He beat three higher-ranked opponents en route to the round of 16 at the Australian Open this year, and also reached the fourth round at Monte Carlo. His lone ATP World Tour title came in St. Petersburg in 2010.

Alex Bogomolov Jr. is currently ranked No. 50. He had a nice run last summer, including a semifinal in Los Angeles and a win over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in Cincinnati, that got him to a career-high No. 33. He’s a former No. 1 in the USTA Under-18 and won the USTA National Boys 18 crown in Kalamazoo.

Lukas Lacko is ranked No. 53 and is having the best year of his career. He reached his first final in Zagreb in January, beating Alex Bogomolov Jr., Robin Haase and Marcos Baghdatis before losing to Mikhail Youzhny in the final.

Go Soeda is the second-highest ranked Japanese player, behind Kei Nishikori, at No. 54. He has won Challenger tournaments at Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Pingguo, China; and Honolulu in the past seven months and reached the finals at Singapore.

Donald Young is a former Australian Open and Wimbledon juniors champion who became the youngest player in history to reach No. 1 in the junior rankings. Has struggled this year and is currently ranked No. 57, but had some nice results late last year to reach a career-high No. 38 in February. He reached the finals at Bangkok and the fourth round at the US Open in 2011, losing to Andy Murray both times, after he had beaten Murray at Indian Wells.

Alejandro Falla is ranked No. 58, after being as high as No. 50 in May. He recently went to the third round at Wimbledon, beating John Isner in the first round. He owns no ATP World Tour titles but has 11 Challenger crowns, including one this year. Reached the fourth round at Roland Garros in 2011 for his best Grand Slam effort.

David Goffin is a 21-year-old from Belgium who is quickly rising in the rankings and currently stands at No. 59. He got everyone’s attention by making it through qualifying and reaching the fourth round at Roland Garros, then followed that up with a trip to the third round at Wimbledon.

Martin Klizan is a 22-year-old from the Slovak Republic currently ranked No. 60. He has won three Challenger titles this year, at Bordeaux, Marrakech and Dabat. He also reached the second round at Wimbledon and Roland Garros.

Thomaz Bellucci is ranked No. 64, but has been as high as No. 21 in July of 2010. He has two ATP World Tour titles, in Santiago in 2010 and Gstaad in 2009. After losing to Rafael Nadal in the first round at Wimbledon, he entered a Challenger and won at Braunschweig last week.

Nicolas Mahut is forever a part of tennis history after his 11-hour, 5-minute, three-day marathon against John Isner at Wimbledon in 2010. Mahut eventually lost 70-68 in the fifth set. He is currently No. 65 and is still seeking his first ATP World Tour title. He owns five doubles titles.

Yen-Hsun Lu is a journeyman from Chinese Taipei who is currently ranked No. 66. He climbed as high as No. 33 in January of 2010 and has been in the Top 100 for the last five years.

Tatsuma Ito is another rising Japanese player who is ranked No. 67. He has won twice on the Challenger circuit this year, at Busan, South Korea, and at Kyoto, Japan. Malek Jaziri is a 28-year-old Tunisian ranked No. 70. He has had limited success on the ATP World Tour but has reached the finals of three Challenger events this year.

Lukasz Kubot is currently ranked No. 68 and has been as high as No. 41. He is known more as a doubles player and owns six ATP World Tour doubles titles. Has been ranked as high as No. 7 in doubles in 2010.

Tommy Robredo rose to as high as World No. 5 in August of 2006 and has won 10 career ATP World Tour singles titles, nine of them on clay. He’s currently ranked No. 199 in comeback mode, but won Challengers at Milan and Caltanissetta in back to back weeks last month.

Wild Card

James Blake is a longtime Winston-Salem favorite, having played in three U.S. Davis Cup ties at Joel Coliseum. The one-time World No. 4 has 10 career singles titles, six doubles titles, and has 14 other ATP World Tour finals appearances. At age 32, he has been plagued by injuries in recent years and is currently ranked No. 107.

Other Notable Players

Brian Baker is one of the most amazing stories in tennis today. Out of the game altogether at one point after five surgeries, including Tommy John surgery, he has returned to the ATP World Tour and gone to the finals at Nice and the fourth round at Wimbledon in the past two months. That has raised his ranking from No. 456 in January to his current No. 76. He just jumped 50 spots this week alone.

Michael Llodra is familiar to Winston-Salem tennis fans. He and Arnaud Clement beat the Bryan brothers in doubles in the 2007 Davis Cup quarterfinals between the U.S. and France at Joel Coliseum. He and Clement also won Wimbledon in 2006. Llodra, currently ranked No. 77, has five ATP World Tour singles titles and a whopping 23 doubles titles.

Matthew Ebden reached the round of 16 at Indian Wells this spring thanks to a win over Mardy Fish. The 24-year-old Aussie is currently ranked No. 80. He has no singles titles but two doubles titles, both last year, one with Alex Bogomolov Jr. in Atlanta and the other with Ryan Harrison at Newport.

Igor Andreev is a former Top 20 player, reaching No. 18 in March of 2008. His best year came in 2005 when he won three times, at Moscow, Palermo and Valencia. He’s currently ranked No. 89.

Lukas Rosol is a powerful, 6-5 Czech who just stunned the tennis world by beating Rafael Nadal 6-7, 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 in the second round at Wimbledon. He was ranked No. 100 at the time, and actually dropped to No. 103 this week despite reaching the third round at Wimbledon.

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