Upstart American Brian Baker Earns U.S. Open Entry
July 19, 2012 | By Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
American Brian Baker’s jump in the ATP World Men’s Singles Rankings has earned him automatic entry into the U.S. Open. Baker has made the jump from 79th in the world after beginning 2012 ranked 458th, after more than five years off the ATP World Tour due to various injuries. His recent run to the fourth round at Wimbledon as a qualifier assisted his jump in nearly 380 spots in the world rankings.
The USTA announced the top 101 players who earned direct entry into this year’s U.S. Open. Missing the cut was 110th-ranked American James Blake. Blake is 32-years-old and has won at least one match at the Open in his past 10 appearances, reaching the quarterfinals twice. Blake can still get in through one of the eight wild-card spots awarded by the USTA. Sixteen additional players will make it through to the main draw via qualifying.
