Challenger of Dallas Returns To TbarM Racquet Club

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DALLAS, TX,   The Challenger of Dallas is the largest indoor professional men’s tennis event in then entire southwest United States hosted at the TBarM Racquet Club and is rated one of the top circuit stops by the USTA (United States Tennis Association). This event has raised over $350,000 for local charities such as the Susan G. Komen for the Cure® Dallas County Affiliate and the Dallas Tennis Association’s Invest in a Child Foundation. This event also reaches out into the community hosting a city-wide junior tennis clinic, a junior deaf clinic and introduces a wheel chair tennis exhibition the week of the tournament.

During the event, ATP professionals from over 25 countries will battle it out in singles and doubles in front of an international crowd of tennis fans. As with years past, the Challenger of Dallas plans to continue its tradition of presenting many great players on the ATP Tour. Past participants include Bob and Mike Bryan, currently the number one doubles team in the world, U.S. standout James Blake, favorite Ryan Harrison, the current U.S. number one player and world top 10 Mardy Fish, Nikolay Davydenko former top 4 player in the world, teen star Donald Young recent top 40 in the world and Jack Sock 2011 U.S Open Mixed Doubles Champion. In 2011 Champion Alex Bogomolov Jr. used the Challenger of Dallas to launch his ranking in a year that saw him climb more than 130 spots, thus becoming the ATP’s most improved player on the men’s tour.

This year we are excited to have undoubtedly the best collegiate player of

all time, Steve Johnson. He went undefeated in singles to claim his second straight NCAA singles title and led USC to its fourth team title in Johnson’s four years at the school. He then transitioned to the professional ranks, where he reached the round of 16 at the Emirates Airline US Open Series event in Atlanta and followed that up by winning the $100,000 USTA Pro Circuit Challenger in Aptos, Calif., to earn a wild card into the US Open. In Flushing Meadows, he reached the third round in singles, the best finish by a reigning men’s NCAA champion since Sargis Sargsian in 1995. Following the US Open, Johnson advanced to the semifinals at the $100,000 event in Tiburon,Calif. In 2011, as an amateur Johnson won two singles titles and one doubles title on the USTA Pro Circuit and played in the main draw of the US Open. That same year, he was named a practice partner for the U.S. Davis Cup team. Last week Johnson went the distance in the 2013 Australian Open losing in 5 sets to the current No.11 Nicolas Almagro.

We also welcome Japan’s No.2 player, Go Soeda, who makes his second appearance at the Challenger of Dallas this year. Soeda finished a year-end best after breaking into Top 50 and getting to career-high No. 47 on July 23, 2012 with wins in Honolulu, Hawaii, Pingguo, China and Kaohsiung, Taiwan as well as reaching the finals in Singapore. With this success, Soeda is currently the No.2 player from Japan behind another former Challenger of Dallas player, Kei Nishikori. The tremendous success of both players has made them national heroes and a strong driving force in the rise in popularity and competitiveness of the sport in Japan.

Last year’s Challenger of Dallas champion, Jesse Levine returns to defend his title. In 2012 the Canadian finished a career-high No. 102 after reaching as high as No. 69 in October. Levine played in each of the four Grand Slam tournaments for the 1st time in his career, winning a round at Roland Garros vs Benjamin Becker and Wimbledon vs Karol Beck. At the US Open, he lost to No. 15 Alexandr Dolgopolov in 5 sets in the opening round.

Other notable players include Dallas junior superstar Mitchell Kreuger, Michael Russell, Alex Bogomolov Jr., Matthew Ebden, Denis Kudla, Vasek Pospisil, Bobby Reynolds, Tim Smyczek, Ryan Sweeting, Michael Yani and many more to be announced within the week.

Tickets to the event can be purchased online at www.ChallengerofDallas.com or at tickemaster.com

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