News

NEWPORT, R.I. — Former world No. 2 Tommy Haas has been awarded a wild card to compete in the Campbell’s Hall of Fame Tennis Championships, to be hosted at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, R.I. on July 4 – 10, 2011.This will the first appearance in Newport for Haas, who began making a comeback to the ATP World Tour in late April after a 14-month hiatus due to surgery.

“We look forward to welcoming Tommy to Newport. He’s been one of the most exciting, consistent players on Tour for many years, and we know our fans will enjoy seeing him compete with the other top players in our field, such as Sam Querrey and Ivo Karlovic,” said Mark L. Stenning, tournament director for the Campbell’s Hall of Fame Tennis Championships.

Now in his 16th year on the ATP World Tour, Haas has been a dominant player for the majority of his career. He’s no stranger to the comeback challenge either, having been named ATP World Tour Comeback Player of the Year in 2004, when he climbed to No. 17 after being out the year prior due to surgery.

“It’s been a great feeling to get myself back into competition over recent weeks, and I am very excited for the opportunity to compete in Newport,” said Haas. “The tournament has a great history and reputation, and I’m eager to be part of it.”

Haas, a 12-time singles champion on the ATP World Tour, has been a newsmaker since 1996, when he entered Indianapolis as a wild card and advanced to the quarterfinals before falling to Pete Sampras. He carved a spot for himself at the top of the world rankings for nearly a decade, finishing within the top 50 eleven times since his first full season on tour in 1997. Of those eleven top 50 finishes, eight were in the top 25. He was among the world top 5 for the majority of the 2002 season, when he reached a career best No. 2 ranking.

Haas is a four-time Grand Slam semi-finalist (3 Australian Opens, 1 Wimbledon), and he won a silver medal at the 2002 Sydney Olympics. In addition, he has been an instrumental part of the German Davis Cup team, having accumulated a 22-8 record.

Haas joins a competitive player field for Newport, which features No. 3 American Sam Querrey; the world’s fastest ever server Ivo Karlovic of Croatia; and several rising stars, including Ryan Sweeting and Ryan Harrison, both of the United States, Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria, and Richard Berankis of Lithuania.

A variety of special events including Family Weekend on July 2 – 3, free tennis lessons from USPTA pros on July 4 -5, and the Angela Moore Fashion Show on July 7 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.