ATLANTA, GA, July 14, 2010 – US Open quarterfinalist Melanie Oudin will sign autographs during a special appearance at the Atlanta Tennis Championships. The Atlanta event, owned and operated by USTA Southern, will serve as the kick-off to the 2010 Olympus US Open Series.

 

Oudin, who lives in nearby Marietta, Ga., will be signing autographs on behalf of adidas in the company’s tent Thursday, July 22 at 6:15 p.m.

 

"Melanie Oudin is a great addition to our tournament. She is great fan favorite, especially for local junior players who look upon her determination and dedication to tennis as a great inspiration," Tournament Director Bill Oakes said.

 

Best known for her explosive runs at the 2009 US Open and Wimbledon, the 18-year-old burst upon the world tennis scene last year. She has defeated former No. 1 players Maria Sharapova and Jelena Jankovic and reached a high of No. 31 in the world. She received the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Newcomer of the Year in 2009 and has been named to the U.S. Fed Cup team the last two years.

 

Oudin’s appearance is one of numerous Special Events that expand the tournament’s activities beyond tennis.

 

Here is the schedule:

 

 

Taking place from July 19-25, the Atlanta Tennis Championships will feature some of the world’s top ATP players, plus the US Open National Playoffs – Men’s Championship.

 

The Atlanta Tennis Championships will feature a 28-player singles draw and 16-team doubles draw. John Isner, who won the longest tennis match in history at Wimbledon, is set to be the top seed. Four-time ATP titlist Mardy Fish joins Lleyton Hewitt, James Blake and Robby Ginepri in the main singles draw. Concurrently, the men’s winners from 16 US Open National Playoffs Sectional Qualifying Tournaments will battle for one spot in the 2010 US Open Qualifying Tournament in Flushing, N.Y.

 

The Atlanta Athletic Club, Johns Creek, Ga., will be the tournament site. The ATP formally awarded the ATP 250 sanction Atlanta Tennis Championships to the USTA Southern Section in December 2009. 

 

Premium tickets and daily tickets are now on sale. To order daily tickets by phone, call 866-840-8822. For an order form or other ticket info, call (678) 527-2138 or visit www.bbtatlantaopen.com.

 

Now in its seventh season, the Olympus US Open Series has established itself as a true regular season of hard court tennis, linking 10 summer tournaments to the US Open. Fans can follow the action throughout the summer through national television coverage, culminating each week with back-to-back men’s and women’s finals every Sunday afternoon. Players battle for $40 million, including a chance for bonus prize money at the US Open. In 2008, Olympus became the first title sponsor of the Series. The Olympus US Open Series is also supported by sponsors American Express, Evian and Grand Marnier.

Sam Querrey won the 2009 Olympus US Open Series men’s title and Elena Dementieva won the women’s title. In 2007, Roger Federer collected the biggest paycheck in tennis history -- $2.4 million -- for winning US Open and the Olympus US Open Series. In 2005, Kim Clijsters also captured both the US Open and the Olympus US Open Series, winning $2.2 million -- the largest purse in women’s sports history.