Americans Todd Harrity, world No. 68, and Chris Hanson, world No. 159, are set to compete in the $10,000 U.S. Pro Series Life Time Atlanta Open in Georgia this week.
Hanson has continued his progression up the world rankings, including his career high this month, 159, and is the sole American ranked player in the sixteen-player qualification draw.
Hanson will take on U.S.-based South African Clinton Leeuw, who was ranked as high as seventy-nine in 2013, in their first career match up. The Atlanta Open is Leeuw’s first tournament since reaching the U.S. Pro Series Minneapolis Open semifinals as a qualifier in November. Hanson will target his first victory of 2015 after falling to former world No. 7 Ong Beng Hee in the Tournament of Champions.
Harrity also makes his first appearance since the Tournament of Champions where the twenty-four-year-old exited the main draw at the hands of world No. 1 Mohamed Elshorbagy. Harrity, seeded sixth, opens his tournament against Irish Wild Card Sean Conroy in their first career match up.
Egyptian world No. 43 Karim Ali Fathi leads the main draw as the top seed, while Malaysian world No. 59 Muhd Asyraf Azan is seeded second. Englishmen Charles Sharpes and Ben Coleman are seeded third and fourth respectively.
For more information, visit the official Life Time Atlanta Open tournament page.
Atlanta Open Qualifying Draw:
[1] Sunil Seth (GUY) vs. Basem Makram (EGY)
Adewale Amao (NGR) vs. [8] Ahmed Effat Ashoush (EGY)
[6] Chris Hanson (USA) vs. Clinton Leeuw (RSA)
Mark Broekman (ENG) vs. [3] Babatunde Ajagbe (NGR)
[4] Reuben Phillips (ENG) vs. [L] Andre Maur [L] Lee Scott vs. [7] Chris Binnie (JAM)
[5] Graeme Schnell (CAN) vs. [L] Ahmed Hamza
Cameron Stafford (CAY) vs. [2] Nathan Lake (ENG)
Atlanta Open Main Draw:
[1] Karim Ali Fathi (EGY) vs. [Q]
Eric Galvez (MEX) vs. [5] Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi (QAT)
[6] Todd Harrity (USA) vs. [WC] Sean Conroy (IRL)
Zac Alexander (AUS) vs. [3] Charles Sharpes (ENG)
[4] Ben Coleman (ENG) vs. [Q]
James Huang (TPE) vs. Arthur Gaskin (IRL)
[8] Andrew Schnell (CAN) vs. [Q]
[Q] vs. [2] Muhd Asyraf Azan (MAS)