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Sports

Locals Headline Gwinnett Pro Tennis Event

Racquet Club of the South hosts week-long Atlanta Championships.

When professional tennis comes to Peachtree Corners today, it'll bring a decidedly local flavor.

Not only were Georgia Tech’s Guillermo Gomez and University of Georgia’s Wil Spencer granted wild card entry into this weekend's Atlanta Tennis Championships at the Racquet Club of the South, so was Kennesaw native Robby Ginepri in a field whose seven Americans include defending champion Mardy Fish and former UGA star and 2010 finalist John Isner.

The best known name locally might be Ginepri, a 2005 U.S. Open semifinalist who reached the second round of last year's Atlanta Championships against Fish.

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“I’m so thankful to be back playing tennis and for the opportunity to play in front of my hometown fans in Atlanta,” Ginepri said. “It’s a great tournament, and I hope that people from all over the area can come out and support me and the other amazing professionals.”

Tournament director Bob Bryant of Alpharetta said Ginepri's name decidedly will be a draw to Peachtree Corners' famed 23-acre site off Peachtree Corners Circle, just north of Holcomb Bridge Road.

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“Robby is a great addition to our strong player field,” Bryant said. “He has a lot of talent and I think his Atlanta roots will gain him quite a bit of fan support at this year’s Championships.”

Racquet Club of the South owners Steve Garaleck and Remington Reynolds believe they have created a mecca for tennis players at every level, and the coming week's pro event is perhaps its hallmark one. The facility hosted the 1990 Federation Cup and a men’s World Championship Tournament in the 1980s and reportedly is the home club of one of America's top players, Marietta's Melanie Oudin. The Atlanta championships is an ATP World Tour event that begins the 10-tournament Olympus US Open Series season.

The facility boasts more than two dozen outdoor and indoor courts, but the week's action will be concentrated in its 3,716-seat stadium court. And judging from the estimated 41,000 who came throughout last year's inaugural tournament at the Atlanta Athletic Club, it should be packed as players compete for $531,000 of prize money.

“We’re extremely pleased to bring the Atlanta Tennis Championships to the Racquet Club of the South," said tournament chairman Rex Maynard. "The club’s extensive experience in hosting professional tournaments over many years makes it a very desirable location to showcase the top players in the world."

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