BB&T Atlanta Open Individual Session Tickets Now On Sale

Individual session tickets to the BB&T Atlanta Open are now available for purchase. The BB&T Atlanta Open will be held July 14 – 22 at Atlantic Station, in the heart of Midtown Atlanta. Tickets are available for purchase in each of the 11 sessions from qualifying weekend July 14-15 through the two finals on Sunday, July 22. Weeklong Ticket Packages, Weekend Ticket Packages, and Individual Session Tickets are available at http://www.bbtatlantaopen.com.

The BB&T Atlanta Open is the first men’s event in the Emirates Airline US Open Series. Several of the world’s top players have committed to play in the tournament: Former World No. 1 Andy Roddick, Top 10 player John Isner, Top 40 players Kei Nishikori and Kevin Anderson, and reigning US Open mixed doubles champ Jack Sock. 

Ticket options this year include Champagne Suites, Courtside Seats and Platinum seats all of which include VIP lounge access and other Weeklong Ticket Packages benefits. The Weekend Ticket Packages are also new for the tournament, allowing fans to purchase the last four sessions including the quarterfinal through final matches.  Weeklong Ticket Packages feature the same seat for all matches and the greatest discount off individual prices.

The BB&T Atlanta Open will be moving from previous suburban Atlanta locations to the heart of Midtown Atlanta for the first year of a multi-year partnership with Atlantic Station as the new host site. The tournament will be played on three new competition courts and three new practice courts being built on the site. The 3,600-seat stadium court will be visible from I-75/I-85, offering an outstanding view of the Atlanta skyline. This is one of the few outdoor tournaments ever to be held in the middle of a city on the entire ATP World Tour. Atlantic Station is a mixed-use development featuring 12 restaurants, 30 retailers and a movie theater complex.

“No tennis fan could have more fun at any other tournament in the world with all we have to offer this year,” stated Bob Bryant, tournament director. “The focus is on great tennis, a fun festival-like environment, fan friendly features and convenience. The BB&T Atlanta Open at Atlantic Station will be the single most talked about event of the year.”

A study by the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau estimates the BB&T Atlanta Open economic impact on the city to exceed $10.3 million. The tournament is broadcast nationally on ESPN2 and Tennis Channel, as well as globally via several international broadcasters. American Mardy Fish, a top 10 ATP World Tour player, has won the last two Atlanta tournaments facing Isner in the final both times. The tournament has also featured collegiate players from Georgia, Georgia Tech and Georgia State.

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I spoke with Bob Bryant, Tournament Director of the BB&T Atlanta Open on my "The Tech of Sports" radio show in late April.  He talks about what it takes to put on an ATP-250 event and gives us a behind the scenes tour of what to expect this July.

Listen here:

http://netcaststudio.com/bob-bryant-tournament-director/

Emirates Airline to Sponsor U.S. Open Series

A new sponsor in 2012 for the U.S. Open Series, tennis' annual build up to the U.S. Open in New York.

Now in its ninth season, the Emirates Airline US Open Series continues to serve as a true regular season of hard court tennis, linking 10 summer tournaments to the US Open.  Fans follow the action throughout the summer during national broadcast coverage while players battle for $40 million, including a chance for bonus prize money at the US Open.  The Series collectively reached a U.S. television audience of 39 million and drew more than 800,000 on-site fans in 2011.  In 2012, Emirates Airline became the title sponsor of the Series, as well as the official airline of the US Open.  The Emirates Airline US Open Series is also supported by sponsors American Express, Chase, Citizen Watch Company, Esurance, evian and Gatorade.

Americans Mardy Fish and Serena Williams swept the 2011 Emirates Airline US Open Series men’s and women’s titles. In 2007, Roger Federer collected the biggest paycheck in tennis history – $2.4 million – for winning the US Open and the Emirates Airline US Open Series. In 2005, Kim Clijsters also captured both the US Open and the Series, winning $2.2 million – the largest purse in women’s sports history – and equaled that amount in 2010, winning the US Open and finishing the Emirates Airline US Open Series in second place.

The New #1 American in Tennis

John Isner

Regardless of how he does today against Juan Monaco in Houston, John Isner will be ranked No. 9 in the world on monday morning and will replace Mardy Fish as the top-ranked American.

I can't say I saw this coming when John broke in a few years ago, but I'm happy for him and think he still has a tremendous upside.

Azarenka Falls to Bartoli in Miami

Seventh-seeded Marion Bartoli of France ended the unbeaten streak of women's world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka on Wednesday night with a 6-3, 6-3 victory at the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami.

It ended defending champion Azarenka's season-long win streak at 26 matches by posting her third win over a world number one and first in three years.

"I really went on court with a lot of belief in myself, and I stayed very focused at the end," said Bartoli. "I'm so happy."

Azarenka had five double faults and won just 49 percent of her first serve points as she tried to rally for the second straight match.

In her fourth round match, Azarenka dropped the first set and then fell behind 5-2 in the second set against Dominika Cibulkova before fighting back to win a three-setter.

But there would be no comeback this time as Bartoli used her counterpunching style to keep the world No. 1 off-balance.

Bartoli next faces Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland who beat Venus Williams in the previous round.

Rory McIlroy Shows off His Tennis Skills

And takes a point from Maria Sharapova.