US Open Wild Card Challenge Begins with This Week's Women's $50,000 Pro Circuit Tournament in Sacramento

I'm still in transit returning from Wimbledon, but wanted to post this release from the USTA on the US Open Wild Card Challenge, which begins  for the US women with the $50,000 Sacramento event this week.  The men's first tournament is the $50,000 Challenger in Binghamton next week.

Look for a post on last week's non-Wimbledon results in junior and college tennis tomorrow.

Bradley Klahn won a US Open Men's main draw wild card last year

THE USTA PRO CIRCUIT’S US OPEN WILD CARD CHALLENGE
KICKS OFF TODAY FOR AMERICAN PLAYERS
TO EARN A USTA WILD CARD INTO THE 2014 US OPEN

Any American who did not earn direct entry into the US Open is eligible

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., July 7, 2014 – The USTA today announced the launch of the 2014 US Open Wild Card Challenge that utilizes the USTA Pro Circuit to award wild cards into the US Open.

In the US Open Wild Card Challenge, the American man and American woman who earn the most ATP World Tour and WTA Tour ranking points at two of three (for women) and two of four (for men) selected USTA Pro Circuit hard-court events earn main draw wild cards into the US Open. Only Americans who did not earn direct entry into the US Open are eligible.

All tournaments will be streamed live on www.procircuit.usta.com. The FSP Gold River Women’s Challenger in Sacramento, Calif., begins today.

The US Open Wild Card Challenge will consist of the following events:

USTA Pro Circuit Women’s Events
-- FSP Gold River Women’s Challenger, $50,000 Sacramento, Calif. (week of July 7)
-- USTA Player Development Women’s $50,000 Classic, Carson, Calif. (week of July 14)
-- Kentucky Bank Tennis Championships, $50,000 Lexington, Ky. (week of July 21)

USTA Pro Circuit Men’s Events
-- Levene Gouldin & Thompson Tennis Challenger, $50,000 Binghamton, N.Y. (week of July 14)
-- Kentucky Bank Tennis Championships, $50,000 Lexington, Ky. (week of July 21)
-- Odlum Brown VanOpen, $100,000 Vancouver, Canada (week of July 28)
-- Comerica Bank Challenger, $100,000 Aptos, Calif. (week of August 4)

The USTA first used this US Open wild card format for its 2012 wild cards, won by Steve Johnson and Mallory Burdette, who both reached the third round of the US Open, as well as the 2013 US Open, which was won by Bradley Klahn, who won his first round match, and Shelby Rogers. The USTA also utilizes this format for the French Open through the Har-Tru USTA Pro Circuit Wild Card Challenge, where this year’s women’s winner Taylor Townsend was a top story at Roland Garros by reaching the third round. Veteran Robby Ginepri won the 2014 men’s French Open wild card.

The 2014 US Open main draw will be held Monday, August 25, to Monday, September 8.