News

NEWPORT, R.I. — When the ATP World Tour heads to Newport, RI for the first stop on the North American summer swing in July, some of the world’s top young tennis players will be among the player field. New commitments to the Campbell’s Hall of Fame Tennis Championships include world No. 62 Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria, who, at 20 years old is the youngest player inside world top 100 on the South African Airways ATP World Tour Rankings. Joining Dimitrov will be Lithuanian Richard Berankis, who is 21 years old, and currently ranked No. 96 in the world. Dimitrov and Berankis are both widely considered among the next generation of up and comers on the global tennis scene, and with good reason – Dimitrov’s playing style has been likened to Roger Federer and Berankis has had multiple wins against former world top-10 players. They join two top young Americans in the Newport field- 19 year old Ryan Harrison, currently ranked No. 122 in the world and No. 69 Ryan Sweeting, who went from wild card entry to champion at Houston earlier this year. The Campbell’s Hall of Fame Tennis Championships will be hosted July 4 – 10, 2011 on the grass courts of the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, R.I. Tickets are available now on tennisfame.com or by calling 866-914-FAME (3263).

At No. 62 in the ATP World Tour South African Airways rankings Grigor Dimitrov already stands as the highest ranked Bulgarian male player of all time. Dimitrov dominated the junior circuit, achieving the No. 1 ranking and capturing both the Wimbledon and US Open junior titles. This season, Dimitrov defeated Nicolas Mahut to capture the title at the Challenger DCNS de Cherbourg. He was a quarterfinalist at the US Men’s Clay Court Championships in Houston, and after qualifying for the Australian Open he advanced to the second round. Last year, he won three Futures titles and an impressive five Challenger titles. Dimotrov has played for Bulgaria in Davis Cup competition and has compiled a 9-1 singles record.

Richard Berankis, also a former No. 1 junior and US Open junior champion, is highest ranked Lithuanian player of all time and the first to reach the main draw of Wimbledon. He started this season on a high note, defeating former world No. 10 Arnaud Clement at the Brisbane International. At the Australian Open, he advanced to the third round, defeating former world No. 3 David Nalbandian along the way. His best result this season was advancing to the quarterfinal round at San Jose. Last year was a breakthrough season for Berankis, in which he achieved a 24-12 Challenger match record with two titles, his first ATP World Tour quarterfinal result and two Grand Slam main draw wins. Berankis has been an important member of the Lithuanian Davis Cup team, compiling an 11-5 singles record.

A variety of special events including Family Weekend, free tennis lessons, and the Angela Moore Fashion Show will complement another exciting week of ATP World Tour tennis. A highlight of the tournament week will be the International Tennis Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, which will be held on Saturday, July 9 at 12:00 p.m., prior to the tournament’s semifinal matches. The one and only Andre Agassi, former world No. 1, eight-time grand slam champion, and one of the most revered athletes in history is the sole inductee in the Recent Player Category. In the Contributor Category, Peachy Kellmeyer, who was the very first employee and director of the WTA in 1973 and still serves the organization today, will be inducted for her immense contributions in the development of women’s tennis.

Tickets for the Campbell’s Hall of Fame Tennis Championships are on sale now. Members of the International Tennis Hall of Fame save 30% on all tickets for Monday – Thursday sessions. To purchase tickets or learn more about the tournament or Hall of Fame membership, visit tennisfame.com or call 401-849-6053 or 866-914-FAME (3263).

For additional information, please call the Tournament Office at 401-849-6053 or 866-914-FAME (3263) or visit tennisfame.com.