(SAVANNAH, GA) James Blake Among Players Competing in 2011 $50,000 Savannah Challenger

(SAVANNAH, GA) Popular American tennis champ James Blake, who achieved a fourth place world ranking in 2006, is among the 32 professional players slated to compete in the third annual $50,000 Savannah Challenger. The tournament, presented by Critz Automotive Group and The Landings Club, will take place April 30-May 8 at The Landings on Skidaway Island.

Blake, a former tennis star at Harvard University, is coming back from a knee injury and is currently the twelfth top-rated male player in the U.S.

Other top players competing in the 2011 $50,000 Savannah Challenger include Ryan Sweeting, Robby Ginepri, Robert Kendrick, Michael Russell, Donald Young, Carsten Ball, Ryan Harrison and Bobby Reynolds. Sweeting, the highest ranked player in the competition with a current world ranking of 67, won the 2011 U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championships singles title in Houston on April 10.

“We’re very pleased to see the caliber of players who will be competing in Savannah this year,” says Tournament Chairperson Robin Gold. “It appears that each year the quality of play increases with our tournament. We’re looking forward to a fabulous tournament.”

Each year, the USTA hosts 16 Challenger Tournaments around the country. Participants are usually full-time ATP tour players with a world ranking of 40-200 who play in the tournaments to improve their rankings and advance to Grand Slam events. Many of the professionals who competed in the 2010 $50,000 Savannah Challenger went on to play in prestigious tennis tournaments around the world, including the Australian Open, the U.S. Open, Wimbledon and the French Open.

The qualifying rounds of the $50,000 Savannah Challenger begin on Saturday, April 30, and the finals take place on Sunday, May 8. In addition to the professional competition, the week-long tournament will feature a Kids Day Clinic and a Ladies Day, as well as a Pro-Am in which 100 percent of the proceeds will be donated to Special Pops Tennis, an adaptive tennis program for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.

The 2011 $50,000 Savannah Challenger and all special activities are open to the public. For a complete list of players competing in the tournament and for more information on the tournament, ticket prices and the special events, please visit www.savannahchallenger.com or call 912-598-3500.

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