Kennesaw's Ginepri ‘at a pinnacle point'

If the autumn of Robby Ginepri's career hasn't yet arrived, then at least summer vacation is about to come to a close.

Ginepri, the Wheeler High grad who made his biggest splash with a U.S. Open semifinal run in 2005, doesn't run from it.

"I'm just having a different outlook on the game," said Ginepri, a Kennesaw resident. "I know it's not going to be there forever."

Perhaps it's because of that mindset that Ginepri particularly relishes playing in the inaugural Atlanta Tennis Championships that begin Monday. Exhibitions aside, it will be the first time that he's played in Atlanta in a pro event since trying to qualify for the Verizon Tennis Challenge as a high school senior in 2001. Ginepri, ranked No. 74 in the world, will have plenty of family and friends pulling for him at the Atlanta Athletic Club.

Said Ginepri, "I think everyone's going to get their money's worth."

Ginepri, who turns 28 in October, is in his 10th season as a professional, enough time for his share of moments to savor, starting with his showing at the 2005 U.S. Open. He's won three tournaments and he's reached the fourth round of a grand slam tournament five different times. His world ranking peaked at No. 15 in December 2005.

However, he has had his lapses as well, like a slump in 2007 when he lost first-round matches nine times in 10 tournaments, a year when his ranking slid from 51 to 134. It bottomed out at 171 a few weeks later.

The past couple seasons have provided their own entanglements. A year ago, his appendix burst, he lost about 30 pounds and was off the tour for several weeks. Earlier this year, he had surgery to repair a pinched nerve in his neck, forcing him off the courts again. Then he sprained his ankle.

But he rallied from his appendicitis last year to win his first tournament in four years and this spring rebounded to reach the fourth round at the French Open.

"If you look at my career, it's like a roller coaster, up and down," Ginepri said.

He is hopeful of an enjoyable ride the rest of the way. The limited run has altered his attitude. Since last offseason, he has noticed he enjoys practicing more than he once did.

"I feel like I'm at a pinnacle point in my career right now, where I can learn from my past and take what I know now and apply it on a day-to-day basis," he said.