By BB&T Atlanta Open Staff

Georgia resident Robby Ginepri and young American Ryan Harrison have accepted the final two wild cards into the BB&T Atlanta Open main draw.

Ginepri, from Kennesaw, Ga., returns for his fourth time to Atlanta. He is the only active American man to who has reached a Grand Slam semifinal (2005 US Open). He has won three ATP World Tour titles, all on American soil. His career high ranking is No. 15 in the world.

Harrison reached the semifinals of the last year’s tournament before losing to runner-up Kevin Anderson. Harrison was also a semifinalist in 2011 and won the 2012 doubles championship with Matthew Ebden. Two years ago Harrison was ranked No. 43, making him one of the most promising Americans on tour.

The BB&T Atlanta Open is the first men’s event on the Emirates Airline US Open Series and will be played July 19-27 at Atlantic Station. University of Georgia player Austin Smith had already accepted a main draw wild card.

“We’re ecstatic to welcome back two of our fan favorites in Ryan Harrison and Atlanta metro resident Robby Ginepri,” said Tournament Director Eddie Gonzalez. “One of our goals is to highlight American talent and both of these players are great examples of the fine players this country has produced.   

DOUBLES PLAYERS

The BB&T Atlanta Open doubles draw will include Wimbledon doubles champs Jack Sock and Vasek Pospisil. The BB&T Atlanta Open is their second event playing doubles together after a successful debut in England. The duo defeated Mike and Bob Bryan, the 2013 Wimbledon titlists, in the Wimbledon final (7-6(5), 6-7(3), 6-4, 3-6, 7-5. Pospisil and Sock are also competing in the singles draw as well. Pospisil is a newcomer to Atlanta while Sock is returning for his third time. Sock was a quarterfinalist in 2012.

Also playing are top Americans Sam Querrey and Steve Johnson, who are partnering together as well as playing in the singles draw. Querrey and Johnson reached the final of the 2011 Tiburon Challenger on the USTA Pro Circuit.

Jonathan Erlich, the 2008 Australian Open doubles champ, holds the most doubles titles (17) of any player competing in this year’s draw. Most were won with Israeli Andy Ram, who is no relation to his partner here this year, American Rajeev Ram.

Two-time Atlanta doubles champion Ebden will play with Yen-Hsun Lu. Besides his win with Harrison, Ebden won in 2011 with Alex Bogomolov Jr. The duo has six doubles titles with other partners and is playing together for the first time here. Frank Moser, who was a finalist in 2011, has entered with Benjamin Becker.

2011 French Open mixed doubles champ Scott Lipsky will partner with Santiago Gonzalez. The duo has taken seven ATP doubles titles together. The two have amassed 13 additional doubles titles with other players.

Great Britain’s Ken Skupski is returning to Atlanta for a fourth time, but this time with his brother, Neal. The brothers reached the finals of the Kremlin Cup last year.

Atlanta resident Donald Young has entered to play with Divij Sharan. One-time Georgia Tech qualifier Juan-Carlos Spir, a native of Colombia, returns with Colombian Alejandro Gonzalez.

“In 2014 we have two players with Grand Slam titles, along with two of the best Americans playing double together,” Gonzalez said. “This should be an exciting year for our doubles competition.”

WILD CARD CHALLENGE

Korey Lovett, of Brevard, N.C., won the BB&T Atlanta Open Wild Card Challenge and earned a wild card into the Qualifying Tournament. Lovett, who will begin play at the University of Alabama this fall, defeated Raian Luchici, of Marietta, 6-3, 6-4, to advance. The challenge drew top players from in and around metro Atlanta in a multi-site tournament. The event’s prize was a qualifying wild card entry.

Back