News

NEWPORT, R.I. — Ryan Harrison, one of three players 18-under in the Top 300 on the South African Airways 2010 ATP Rankings, has received the first wild card to compete in the Campbell’s Hall of Fame Tennis Championships, an ATP World Tour event, to be held July 5 – 11 at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, R.I. Harrison, who just turned 18 last week, is an exciting rising star who has been steadily advancing on the Tour this year, having notched a notable win against fellow American Taylor Dent at Indian Wells.

“I am eagerly anticipating being part of the tournament in Newport this summer. I really enjoy competing on grass courts, and the player field at this event indicates it will be a fantastic tournament,” said Harrison. “It is an honor to have the opportunity to play where so many legends of the game have competed.”

Harrison joins a competitive Newport player field that features four of the top-10 Americans on the ATP World Tour. Players scheduled to compete in Newport include No. 4 American Sam Querrey, No. 7 American Mardy Fish, defending champion and No. 8 American Rajeev Ram and 2002 champion and No. 10 American Taylor Dent.

“Ryan has proven himself to be a top young American to watch, and it has been very exciting to see his progress on the Tour this year,” said Mark Stenning, CEO of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. “He is a good fit for our player field of top young Americans, and we are pleased he will be competing in Newport this summer.”

Originally from Shreveport, La., Harrison became the tenth player in the history of the ATP World Tour to have won a match before turning 16, when he defeated then world No. 130 Pablo Cuevas in the 2008 U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championships. He is the third youngest player since 1990 to have won an ATP level match, after Richard Gasquet and Rafael Nadal.

Harrison began playing tennis at the age of two, and has been coached by his father. On the junior circuit, Harrison’s highest ranking position was world No. 7, which he achieved in April 2008. He advanced to the semi-finals of the junior competition at the 2008 Australian Open.

The Campbell’s Hall of Fame Tennis Championships is an ATP World Tour event drawing 32 top male players to Newport direct from Wimbledon to compete for the Van Alen Cup and $442,500 in prize money. Tickets for the tournament are now available for purchase online through tennisfame.com or by calling the Tournament Office at 401-849-6053 or 866-914-FAME (3263).

Complementing another exciting week of ATP World Tour tennis will be the International Tennis Hall of Fame Class of 2010 Induction Ceremony. The Induction Ceremony will be held on Saturday, July 10 at 12:30 p.m., prior to the tournament’s semifinal matches. The Class of 2010 is dominated by doubles stars in the Recent Player and Master Player categories, with the inductions of Todd Woodbridge, Mark Woodforde, Gigi Fernandez, Natasha Zvereva and Owen Davidson. In the Contributor category, Brad Parks, the pioneering founder of Wheelchair Tennis, has been selected for induction, along with Derek Hardwick, who served as chairman of the British Lawn Tennis Association and was instrumental in the creation of Open tennis.

Additional special events during tournament week include Family Weekend, featuring tennis clinics, entertainment and Museum tours on July 3-4; an ATP World Tour Doubles Pro-Am on July 4, which offers the exclusive opportunity to play alongside the pros on the grass courts; free tennis lessons for all ages on July 5 & 6; and the Angela Moore Fashion Show on July 8.

For additional information, please call the Campbell’s Hall of Fame Tennis Championships at 866-914-FAME (3263) or visit tennisfame.com.