The

Peachtree City Tennis Center has announced two new

high-profile sponsors that should bring added visibility

to its annual ladies' professional tournament.

The

drkoop.com USTA Tennis Challenger of Peachtree City,

presented by America Online, is the event's new name,

according to tennis director Virgil Christian.

Peachtree

National Bank, the tournament's title sponsor the past

few years, will continue to be the local hosts, Christian

said.

The

tournament is in its sixth year, which is a long time for

a Challenger event, according to Christian. Challenger

tournaments are the tier below the top professional

tennis tournaments, although many top players often play

in them to gain points and improve their rankings.

"It's

good to have people who want to be the title

sponsor," said Christian, referring to the fact that

the new sponsors approached the center about the

arrangement, which is a two-year deal.

This year's

tournament is scheduled for July 10-16.

In other

developments at the tennis center, work has begun on the

expansion of the locker rooms next to the clubhouse.

The job

should take 2-3 weeks, Christian said, weather

permitting. Winter is the best time to get the job done,

although the courts are busy virtually every week of the

year.

The tennis

center topped the 500 level in total memberships during

December, an all-time high, according to Christian.

"I

don't know if any of us ever thought we'd have that many

people," he said. "That was exciting."