Eight men and women to contest play-offs for wildcard entry in 2012 Australian Open – Tennis News
Australian Open wildcard play-off will played from Dec 16-18, 2011 for the third year in a row. The list of eight men and women players that are called upon to battle it out for the place in the main round of the 2012 Australian
Open Grand Slam has been announced by the USTA Player Development.
The wildcard qualifiers will be played in a certified Regional Training Centre of USTA, Racquet Club of the South. The winners of these play-offs will seal their main round spot as a wildcard entrant for the next year’s Australian
Open. These play-offs were started three year before and they are still intact to allow more players to have an opportunity to earn their place for one of the tennis’s most elite tournament of the year.
Women that will participate in the wildcard play-off are Melanie Oudin, Coco Vandeweghe, Grace Min, Taylor Townsend, Madison Keys, Jamie Hampton, Gail Brodsky and Alison Riske.
Melanie Oudin was one of eight quarterfinalist of US Open in 2009. Coco Vandeweghe won this tournament last year and contested in this year’s Australian Open; she has also contested in the main round of rest of the three Grand
Slam tournaments as well.
The two local upcoming stars, Grace Min and Taylor Townsend will also have an opportunity to clinch the berth in the main draw of the Australian Open 2012. They will be joined in by Madison Keys, the youngest player to march in
the second round of the US Open 2011, since 2005.
Jamie Hampton is another Australian Open 2011 qualifier that played the match in the main round of the tournament. She will be joined in by the likes of 2008 USTA Girls’ 18s National champion, Gail Brodsky. Alison Riske is another
Wimbledon 2010 contestant who earned her right to play in the tournament by winning the play-off in Birmingham, earlier that year.
Men’s list consists of Bobby Reynolds, Denis Kudla, Steve Johnson, Daniel Kosakowski, Rhyne Williams and Jesse Levine.
Semi-finalist of US Open 2005, Robby Ginepri, will be contesting to earn a wildcard entry into the Australian Open and his rival will include 2010 US Open boys’ champion Jack Sock. They will be joined in by the two local heroes,
Bobby Reynolds and Denis Kudla.
Another participant in the male category is NCAA champion, Steve Johnson, recently turned pros, Daniel Kosakowski and Rhyne Williams. Jesse Levine, 2009 Wimbledon participant, will also in the list of players that will rock the
stage to earn their right to play in 2012 Australian Open.
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