GINEPRI WINS HAR-TRU USTA PRO CIRCUIT WILD CARD CHALLENGE

Written by: Staff on 3rd May 2014

GINEPRI WINS HAR-TRU USTA PRO CIRCUIT WILD CARD CHALLENGE

epa03140297 Robby Ginepri of USA returns a shot to Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland during their match at the BNP Paribas Open tennis in Indian Wells, California, USA 10 March 2012. EPA/PAUL BUCK |

Editors note. We couldn’t be happier for Robbie Ginepri. But we strongly feel that every player that was in this playoff should be able to go the the real French Open qualies. We believe they need to get the flavor and feel of going to an event like that. They need the experience. Growth in the sport ? The staff here @10sballs_com believes the players and THEIR OWN coaches should get airplane tickets and hotel rooms via the USTA.

The travel office needs to be open to the top ten American players. We aren’t Belarus. We didn’t become a country in 1990. We are America, and where did all of our players go ? They are right here but overtrained and underfunded by the USTA and limping along to stay in the game . Does the travel office buy all the EX USTA Presidents and their spouses airline tickets ? Do they travel first class ? Just asking if you are reading ….

Robby Ginepri Claims Har-Tru USTA Pro Circuit Wild Card into French Open

PLAY’S IN TALLAHASSEE TENNIS CHALLENGER FINAL TODAY

Robby Ginepri found his form just in time.

The former world No. 15 clinched the Har-Tru USTA Pro Circuit Wild Card Challenge on Saturday with a 6-1, 6-4 over James McGee in the Tallahassee Tennis Challenger semifinals.

The win earned him 48 points, which passes Daniel Kosakowski at 42 and grants him a wild card into the main draw of the French Open later this month.

“It feels unbelievable,” a smiling Ginepri said after his semifinal win. “I knew the situation the entire week and every match had more and more build-up and anxiety. Coming out here this morning I was a little tight but had a 6-1 first set which helped, then got down a couple of breaks in the second set but hung around mentally.”

Ginepri’s mental toughness has shone through throughout the week, where he’s played two matches indoors on hard courts because of rain and two outdoors on clay. He’ll play the final of the $50,000 event Saturday afternoon.

It’s the world No. 442’s first trip to the main draw at Roland Garros since 2010, when he made the fourth round before losing to Novak Djokovic. Ginepri made the fourth round in 2008, as well.

“I’m thrilled to go back to Paris, it’s a special place for me,” the 31-year-old said. Then he joked: “I’ve said this in press conferences there, but I think they named RG after me – Robby Ginepri – not Roland Garros.”

This is the third installment of the Har-Tru USTA Pro Circuit Wild Card Challenge. In 2012 it was Brian Baker who won the pass into the French Open and last year Alex Kuznetsov.

“It’s a big accomplishment especially with all of the injuries and ups and downs I’ve had,” said Ginepri, who was a US Open semifinalist in 2005. “Last year and the year before I was contemplating retiring, so if this week didn’t go well I could have pulled the trigger on that as well. This is a good reward and I’m definitely eager to work as hard as I can leading into the French and fight hard.”

Some tidbits about the Tallahassee Tennis Challenger:

The Tallahassee Tennis Challenger is a $50,000 event on the USTA Pro Circuit, April 26-May 3 at the Forestmeadows Tennis Complex. Players such as Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Mardy Fish, James Blake, John Isner and Ryan Harrison have appeared at the event, which benefits the D. Mark Vogter, M.D., Memorial Endowment for the Neuro-Intensive Care Unit at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare.

ED Note : we applaud the city of Tallahassee Florida. Putting on these events are difficult at best. The hardworking volunteers and participants all your efforts are appreciated globally. You give tennis players opportunities. You put your community on the map. Be proud. Great to see all the coverage for all the great efforts of the citizens of your great city.

Topics: Har-Tru, Robby Ginepri, TALLAHASSEE TENNIS CHALLENGER, Tennis, Usta