Hoping Atlantic Station Adds To Value To BB&T Atlanta Open
Hoping Atlantic Station Adds To Value To BB&T Atlanta Open 
BB&T Atlanta Open Bob Bryant feels like the tournament made a great decision to move to Atlantic Station last year as it added an entirely new element to event, where fans and players can be entertained by more than just tennis at the mixed-use development in the midtown area.
USTA executive director Gordon Smith, who is from the area, agrees with Bryant.
“I’ve watched tennis all over the world and all over the country, and there’s no better venue and no better location than that stadium and that location,” Smith told the Atlanta Journal- Constitution.
John Isner is the tournament’s top seed for this week’s event, followed by South Africa’s Kevin Anderson. Former No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt is also competing as are a slew of Americans including veterans Mardy Fish and James Blake, as well as up and comers Jack Sock, Ryan Harrison, Dennis Kudla and Rhyne Williams.
Atlantic Station offers a variety of shopping, world-class dinning, and top level. entertainment. The players stay at a nearby hotel and can walk to the site. The sizzling view from center court includes the towering skyline of Atlanta.
“For me, it’s one of the neatest tennis sites we have,” Isner said.
The local press has been asking whether or not it’s possible for Atlanta to fetch a member of tennis Big 4 – Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer – but the ATP 250 would have to add some big sponsors to be able to pay their appearances fees which range anywhere from $500,00 to $1.25 million. Before the Bryan Brothers pulled out on Saturday, the tournament was paying appearances fees to five players (likely also to Isner, Fish and Hewitt) and it’s doubtful their combined rates even reached $500,000.
Smith doesn’t believe the tournament even has to reach a 500 ATP level, which would produce a better field overall, but still not guarantee a member of the Big 4 as none of them have expressed a desire to come to the United States this early in the hard-court season.
“It’s not necessarily in the interest of the fans of the tournament to get to a 500 if they have a quality field and the fans are excited about it,” Smith said. “It doesn’t make sense economically or quality of event to go to a 500.”
Bryant did tell the newspaper that when he met Federer last summer that the Swiss was impressed about what he heard about the tournament and said that he may play there someday.
©Daily tennis News Wire
Topics: Andy Murray, Atlanta open, Atlantic Station, Dennis Kudla, jack sock, John Isner, Mardy Fish James Blake, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Rhyne Williams, Roger Federer, Ryan Harrison
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