Volvo Car Open’s Qualifying Draw Complete

The qualifying draw for the Volvo Car Open is officially complete for the tournament, with qualifying rounds beginning on April 2^nd and finishing on April 3^rd. Volvo Car Open’s qualifying draw consists of 32 players – 28 direct entry participants and four wild cards. Eight players in the qualifying field will advance into the main draw of the Volvo Car Open, which starts on April 4^th.

The qualifying round highlights a range of past Charleston players, including Shelby Rogers, the local fan-favorite, who grew up on Daniel Island and volunteered as a ball girl at the tournament, Jana Cepelova, a finalist in the 2014 Family Circle Cup, and Lauren Davis, who reached the quarterfinals of the tournament last year.

Nine Americans are featured in the qualifying draw. In addition to Rogers and Davis, Alison Riske, Samantha Crawford, Anna Tatishvili, Louisa Chirico, Jessica Pegula, Ellie Halbauer and Raveena Kingsley have all entered into the tournament.

Rounding out the draw, the Volvo Car Open has issued four wild cards into its qualifying field to Patty Schnyder, Laura Robson, Halbauer and Kingsley.

Schnyder is on a comeback tour, after retiring from the sport in 2011. She’s won 11 WTA singles titles and reached a career high ranking of World No. 7. She’s competed in the Family Circle Cup 15 times, reaching two finals in Charleston and holding a 27-12 tournament record.

“There are a handful of players in our qualifying field that have large fan bases in Charleston –Shelby, Jessie, Sam and Ellie, all have ties to the Lowcountry,” said Bob Moran, Volvo Car Open Tournament Director. “Patty Schnyder has been playing in our tournament since before we relocated from Hilton Head Island. She’s a part of our family, and we are thrilled to welcome her back to our tournament.”

Robson is a former Top 50 player, holding a career-high ranking of World No. 27, who is making a return to tennis after a lengthy wrist injury. She’s reached the fourth round in both Wimbledon and the US Open. This is her second time entering the Charleston field, having competed in the 2013 tournament.

Halbauer is a two-time Dunlop Junior champion, providing her with two past wild cards into the Volvo Car Open. Born and raised in Charleston, the 18-year-old has won one ITF title.

Kingsley was granted access into Charleston’s qualifying draw after the Kaitlyn McCarthy, the finalist of the SHAPE Magazine Invitational, had to forgo her wild card entry due to scheduling. The 17-year-old will play for Louisiana State University in fall of 2016.

The Volvo Car Open’s 56-player draw is made up of 43 direct entries into the tournament, five wild cards and eight qualifiers. View the current main draw player field here: http://volvocaropen.com/players/field.

Tickets for the 2016 Volvo Car Open are now on sale. For more information on tickets, call 800.677.2293 or visit http://volvocaropen.wpengine.com. Patrons can purchase single session tickets, or choose from a variety of ticket and travel packages. Qualifying weekend is also family weekend. Adult tickets are only $10 and kids 15 and under are free.