TALLAHASSEE, April 3, 2019 (Press Release)
The USTA announced that Tennys Sandgren of Gallatin, Tenn. will headline the competitors for the 2019 Tallahassee Tennis Challenger, a USTA Pro Circuit & ATP Challenger 80 event hosted at the Forestmeadows Athletic Center, April 22-28.
The tournament is the sixth USTA Pro Circuit men’s Challenger event of the 2019 season. It is the second of three consecutive Challenger tournaments held on clay courts to help develop players on the surface leading up to the 2019 French Open. There are 13 USTA Pro Circuit men’s events (ITF World Tennis Tour events and Challengers combined) currently scheduled to take place in the USTA Florida Section in 2019.
Currently No. 93, Sandgren is the highest-ranked of the 40 men who received direct acceptance into the 48-player main draw. Four players will compete in the qualifying tournament April 22, for two other berths. The local tournament organizers and the USTA will also award wild card entries to complete the field.
In January, Sandgren claimed his first ATP Tour title after defeating Cameron Norrie in the ASB Classic men’s singles final. The stellar start to the year propelled the 27-year-old to a career-high ranking of No. 41 in the world.
In 2018, Sandgren reached the quarter-finals of the Australian Open after defeating Jeremy Chardy, 2014 champion Stan Wawrinka, Maximilian Marterer, and world No. 5 Dominic Thiem before losing to Hyeon Chung. He followed that up by reaching his first ATP Tour final at the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championships in April.
Sandgren reached the Tallahassee Tennis Challenger singles semi-finals in 2015 and took home the doubles title in 2013 with Austin Krajicek. He holds 10 ATP Challenger Tour titles overall (three in singles, seven in doubles).
Joining Sandgren in the main draw is 2018 singles champion Noah Rubin, 2018 finalist Marc Polmans, and former world No. 33 Paolo Lorenzi. Next Gen ATP Finals contenders Corentin Moutet, Ulises Blanch, and Stefan Kozlov are also expected to compete.
Admission to the Tallahassee Tennis Challenger is $5 daily April 22-23, $10 daily April 24-25, $15 daily April 26-27, and $20 for the finals on April 28. A tournament pass is available for $70 and all tickets are available by visiting the Forestmeadows Athletic Center (4750 North Meridian Road, Tallahassee, FL 32312).
The official player acceptance list is subject to change and can be viewed here.
