Acceptance List Released

The USTA has released the player acceptance list for the 2007 JSM Challenger of Champaign-Urbana. Among the headliners is defending champion and former Illinois Tennis star, Amer Delic. Delic will be joined by the largest group of former Illini players to be directly accepted into the JSM Challenger in the history of the tournament. Former teammates Rajeev Ram and Brian Wilson are direct accepts as well as Kevin Anderson.

Anderson recently joined the professional ranks and has immediately proved he belongs on the pro circuit as evidenced by his Challenger win in New Orleans over the summer. Last year in Champaign, Kevin earned the best result in a professional event by a current Illini player by reaching the quarterfinals before falling to Zack Fleishman. In the second round Anderson earned the most impressive win of his tennis career when he defeated Kevin Kim.

Other notable players on the acceptance list include John Isner, the 6' 10" sensation who received much attention at the US Open as a result of his finals appearance in Washington D.C., an ATP event. Tour veteran, Vince Spadea, is also listed and is in line to receive the tournament's top seed by virtue of his ranking. Two players to watch are Robert Kendrick and Bobby Reynolds who will be looking to pick up valuable points at the end of the year to assure a direct acceptance into the Australian Open in January.

The 2006 tournament featured the most competitive draw in the history of the tournament. This year's acceptance list indicates that the 2007 event will be even more hotly contested.