Isner and Robredo Commit to Winston-Salem Open

JOHN ISNER

Two-time Winston-Salem Open champion and current world No. 10 John Isner as well as fan favorite and top 20 player Tommy Robredo have committed to play the 2014 Winston-Salem Open, which will be held from Aug. 16-23 at the Wake Forest Tennis Complex.

Isner, a Triad native, and Robredo are the first players to join what is expected to be another strong field at Winston-Salem’s ATP World Tour 250 event.

“We’re extremely excited that John and Tommy are going to return to the Winston-Salem Open,” said tournament director Bill Oakes. “The fact that two top 20 players have committed to play this far in advance shows how well-regarded this tournament is on the ATP Tour.”

“Given his local ties and how much support he has given to the Winston-Salem Open even when he couldn’t play last year, having John return was one of our top priorities,” said Oakes. “We’re very appreciative that he will again headline our field, and we know that Triad tennis fans will look forward to cheering him on in August.”

Ticket information for this year’s tournament also was announced today. Tickets will go on sale to the public on June 9, and fans who purchase their tickets prior to July 1 will receive a 10 percent discount. Complete ticket information, including pricing and packages, is available on WinstonSalemOpen.com.

“We wanted to reward the great tennis fans from North Carolina and around the country who circle the Winston-Salem Open on their calendars every year,” said Oakes. “We hope that they will help us create another amazing atmosphere as we welcome some of the best players in the world to Winston-Salem.”

The champion of the 2011 and 2012 Winston-Salem Opens, Isner is having one of the best years of his career. He has been ranked as high as No. 9 in the world this spring after a number of impressive performances, including a semifinal appearance at the ATP Masters 1000 event at Indian Wells in March. Isner won the eighth ATP singles title of his career in Auckland back in January and reached the semifinals in Delray Beach in February.

A graduate of Greensboro’s Page High School and four-time All-American at the University of Georgia, Isner has never lost a match at the Wake Forest Tennis Complex. He will be returning to Winston-Salem after an injury prevented him from defending his titles last year.

Robredo, who will be competing in the Winston-Salem Open for the third year in a row, has had a career renaissance at age 31, rising to his current ranking of No. 18 in the world after recovering from a knee injury that dropped him out of the top 400 less than two years ago. A seven-time Grand Slam quarterfinalist, he has been ranked as high as No. 5 in the ATP rankings in his career.

The Spaniard reached the quarterfinals at Roland Garros and the US Open last year and advanced to the fourth round of the Australian Open in January before falling to eventual champion Stanislas Wawrinka. He has also made the semifinals in Buenos Aires and the quarterfinals in Rio de Janeiro in 2014.

About the Winston-Salem Open

The Winston-Salem Open, an ATP World Tour 250 event with a total purse of $625,000, will take place from August 16-23, 2014, with qualifying set for August 16. The tournament will be the final men’s event of the Emirates Airline US Open Series.  For more information on the 2014 Winston-Salem Open, please go to WinstonSalemOpen.com

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