FISH TO PLAY AGAIN IN 2015, COMMITS TO PLAY SINGLES AND DOUBLES
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PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES
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RODDICK: I think this is something we wanted to do. Obviously with Mardy's comeback, it's been a pretty amazing story. The fact that he's going to pursue that even more this summer is really exciting. We've been friends for a long time. We kind of just wanted to play together one last time. I wanted to play with my friend and kind of share in his comeback a little bit. I don't think we're going to play in the US Open. I have some personal stuff coming up later this year that I won't be able to play. Once we knew that, Atlanta seemed like the obvious choice. We both had success there. We both love that tournament. I'm just jumped. I hope I don't embarrass myself out there. I'm real excited. I wasn't a very good doubles player when I was actually good at tennis. Mardy is going to have to do the heavy lifting.
FISH: Indian Wells, in the first place, was a great place for me to start because it's just a drive away. My whole family could be there. Atlanta is probably second easiest to that, considering how sort of comfortable the tournament is. Conditions-wise it will be a challenge as far as the weather and things. But that's stuff I grew up in and used to thrive in conditions like that on the court. So just the comfort of knowing how Atlanta is, knowing that we've had success there, getting to play doubles with Andy, sort of having friends and family around, it's a perfect start there.
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2012 BB&T Atlanta Open champion and the top American male player of the last 15 years Andy Roddick will be playing in his first ATP World Tour event since retiring at the 2012 U.S. Open. He will be joining two-time Atlanta champion Mardy Fish in doubles at this year’s tournament.
Together, Fish and Roddick have won two doubles titles and had a runner-up appearance. Roddick has been an on-air commentator for Fox Sports and won the most tournaments on the PowerShares senior tour this year.
Fish, who won the singles crown here in 2010 and 2011, has also committed to play singles this summer. Looking to continue his long waited comeback, Fish will begin his summer hard court season in Atlanta after recovering from a three-year battle with a debilitating heart condition and an anxiety disorder. Fish recently returned to the ATP World Tour for the first time in nearly 19 months at Indian Wells in March. The former world No. 7 fell to fellow American and 2013 BB&T Atlanta Open semifinalist Ryan Harrison 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(4) in the first round of the BNP Paribas Open.
Fish turned pro at the age of 18 in 2000, winning six ATP World Tour singles titles, eight doubles titles and claimed the silver medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. His two finals victories in Atlanta came over John Isner in three sets. Isner has already committed to defend his title this year.
Known as a journeyman on tour until a breakthrough in 2010, Fish ended the year in Top 20 of the Emirates ATP Rankings for the first time along with a win at the inaugural BB&T Atlanta Open. Fish reached a career-high of world No. 7 in 2011 after a quarterfinal run at Wimbledon and qualifying for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals for the first time.
This year’s main draw wild cards will go to Georgia Tech sophomore Christopher Eubanks and rising star Frances Tiafoe. Eubanks was named to the All-Atlantic Coast Conference team this season after finishing with a 14-11 record in dual matches as the No. 1 or 2 player in the lineup and a 24-19 singles record for the year. The Yellow Jackets star posted wins against four of the nation's top 40 ITA ranked players including defeating last year’s BB&T Atlanta Open wild card player, Nathan Pasha of Georgia, twice before wrapping up his season in the second round of the NCAA Singles Championship. Eubanks will play his first match on College Night, Tuesday, July 28.
Tiafoe, the 2013-14 Easter Bowl champion, will also make his Atlanta main draw debut, as he looks to improve upon his second round qualifying results in 2014. He will face Roddick in an exhibition called the “Celebration of American Tennis” on Monday, July 27, not before 8 p.m.
Other notable 2015 main draw players who were announced today include:
- Jack Sock: 2014 singles semifinalist and doubles champion reached a career-high ranking of No. 31 after reaching the round of 16 at the French Open. At the age of 22, he is considered the top rising young American with a current ranking of No. 30.
- Kevin Anderson: The 2013 finalist has played here all five years. Currently ranked No. 17 in the world, he has won two ATP crowns and reached six other finals.
- Steve Johnson: The 2011-2012 NCAA Singles champion makes an Atlanta return after appearing in the 2014 doubles final with Sam Querrey.
- Vasek Posipsil: Defending doubles champ also captured last year’s Wimbledon crown with Sock. Ranked as high as No. 25 and reached the third round of the 2015 Australian Open.
- Radek Stepanek: With a career-high ranking of No. 4 in 2012 and more than $10 million in prize money, he is the owner of five tour tournament wins.
- Janko Tipsarevic: The big-serving Serb reached No. 8 in 2012 and has four ATP crowns.
- Gilles Muller: Luxembourg native reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open in 2008 and was a finalist at the 2012 BB&T Atlanta Open, losing to Andy Roddick.
- Donald Young: Former world No. 1 junior player and Atlanta native reached his second ATP World Tour final at Delray Beach in February.
- Adrian Mannarino: The Frenchman is having another career year, hitting No. 29 in April.
- Benjamin Becker: With wins this year over Lleyton Hewitt and Fernando Verdasco, Becker currently sits at No. 43.
- Tim Smyczek: No. 72 American gained fame after entering the 2015 Australian Open as a qualifier, reaching the second round and nearly defeating Rafael Nadal in a five-set match.
- Alexandr Dolgopolov: Former No. 13 Ukrainian is making his first Atlanta appearance; reached the 2011 Australian Open quarterfinals.