NEWPORT, RI, June 4, 2009 -- The International Tennis Hall of Fame has announced that Prakash Amritraj of India has been awarded a wild card for the 2009 Campbell’s Hall of Fame Tennis Championships, played for the Van Alen Cup, to be held July 6-12.
Currently at No. 161 in the South African Airways 2009 ATP Rankings, Amritraj has been playing well on the Challenger circuit, reaching the quarterfinals in Mexico City and Tallahassee and the semifinals at both Rhodes (Greece) and Texas. The 25-year-old receives the second of three wild cards to be given out for the Campbell’s Hall of Fame Tennis Championships. Last week, 2002 Hall of Fame champion Taylor Dent was awarded the first wild card for the 2009 tournament.
The Campbell’s Hall of Fame Tennis Championships follows the Wimbledon fortnight and is the only ATP World Tour event played on grass in North America. The Newport tournament features 32 of the top men in professional tennis competing for $500,000 in prize money. Current players who will compete in Newport include two-time defending champion Fabrice Santoro (champion in 2007, 2008), Mardy Fish, Sam Querrey, and Robby Ginepri (champion in 2003).
Prakash Amritraj is the son of former tennis professional Vijay Amritraj, a three-time winner of the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships. Prakash will be making his fourth appearance in Newport, having reached the final here in 2008 and the quarterfinals in 2007.
In 2003 Prakash turned pro, and received a wild card into the Newport singles tournament (he suffered a first round loss to eventual champion Robby Ginepri). He is also a five-year member of the Indian Davis Cup team and is currently the second highest ranked player in India.
Tickets are on sale now for the Campbell’s Hall of Fame Tennis Championships and can be ordered online at www.tennisfame.com or by calling 866-914-FAME (3263). In conjunction with the Campbell’s Hall of Fame Tennis Championships, the International Tennis Hall of Fame will hold its annual Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Saturday, July 11 (12:30pm). The Class of 2009 is represented by Recent Player Monica Seles; Master Player Andres Gimeno; and Contributors Donald L. Dell; and Dr. Robert “Whirlwind” Johnson (posthumously).
In addition, the Hall of Fame will honor Rod Laver during Hall of Fame Weekend (July 10-12), designating him a Life Trustee of the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum while also celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Laver’s remarkable 1969 Grand Slam triumph. To purchase tickets for all tennis sessions and the 2009 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, go to www.tennisfame.com. For additional information call the Tournament Office at 866-914-FAME (3263).Laver was a strategic member of Australia’s Davis Cup team in 1959-62 and 1973, winning the Cup in each year he played. In 2001, Australia honored their countryman by dedicating the Australian Open stadium in Melbourne Park as “The Rod Laver Arena.”
The International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum is a non-profit organization with a mission dedicated to preserving the history of tennis, inspiring and encouraging junior tennis development, enshrining tennis heroes and heroines, and providing a landmark for tennis enthusiasts worldwide. The International Tennis Hall of Fame’s Class of 2009 Induction Ceremony will be held on Saturday, July 11, 2009 and is represented by Recent Player Monica Seles; Master Player Andres Gimeno; and Contributors Donald L. Dell; and Dr. Robert “Whirlwind” Johnson (posthumously). The Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony culminates on the final weekend of the Campbell’s Hall of Fame Tennis Championships, July 6-12, featuring 32 of the top men on the ATP World Tour competing for $500,000 in prize money. For more information regarding the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum, 2009 Hall of Fame Induction Weekend, Tennis Tournaments, Events and Programs, please call 401-849-3990 or visit our website at www.tennisfame.com.