BRYAN BROTHERS TO HELP KICK OFF 2012 USTA AUSTRALIAN OPEN WILD CARD PLAYOFFS

Written by: Staff on 11th October 2012

BRYAN BROTHERS TO HELP KICK OFF 2012 USTA AUSTRALIAN OPEN WILD CARD PLAYOFFS

epa03398660 US brothers Bob (L) and Mike Bryan (R) return the ball during the Davis Cup match against Spanish Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez in Gijon, Northern Spain, 15 September 2012. EPA/Alberto Morante |

Top Men, Women to Compete For Main Draw Singles Wild Card Entry into 2013 Australian Open;

Olympic Gold Medalists Bob and Mike Bryan to Open Event with “Battle of Georgia” Exhibition

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., October 11, 2012 – The USTA today announced that 2012 Olympic men’s doubles gold medal winners and 12-time Grand Slam doubles champions Bob and Mike Bryan will play a unique exhibition to help kick off the 2012 USTA Australian Open Wild Card Playoffs, held December 14-16 at Life Time Athletic & Tennis at Peachtree Corners in Norcross, Ga.

Five select doubles teams from Georgia, to be chosen from the state’s top players, from juniors to teaching professionals, will each take on the Bryan brothers in a first-to-four-games exhibition match in the “Battle of Georgia.” The exhibition will take place on Friday, Dec. 14, the opening day of the fourth USTA Australian Open Wild Card Playoffs at Life Time, formerly known as the Racquet Club of the South, a USTA Certified Regional Training Center.

Sixteen talented players, eight men and eight women to be announced at a later date, will compete in the wild card playoffs on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with each champion earning a singles main draw wild card into the 2013 Australian Open. The USTA secured the opportunity through a reciprocal agreement with Tennis Australia, where the two national tennis federations exchanged wild cards for the 2012 US Open and 2013 Australian Open.

Madison Keys, at 16 years old, and Jesse Levine won last year’s events, while current Top 100 players Ryan Harrison and Lauren Davis are among previous champions. Last year’s Australian Open Wild Card Playoffs also included Jack Sock and Steve Johnson, who each advanced to the third round of the 2012 US Open, along with Top 100 player Coco Vandeweghe and local favorite Taylor Townsend, currently the No. 1-ranked junior in the world.

Tickets for the Battle of Georgia exhibition and each day of the 2012 Australian Open Wild Card Playoffs are on sale at http://www.australianwildcard.com, giving fans the opportunity to purchase reserved seats for the first time. Groups of 10 or more receive a 20 percent discount on all tickets, while children age 15 and under can attend a full day of the wild card playoffs for just $10. Additional discounts are available for purchasing three-day passes and for being a USTA member or for being a Life Time member. Fans also will have the chance to win prizes by voting for which doubles team they think will do the best against the Bryans, while Life Time will showcase several new upgrades at its suburban Atlanta facility.