Isner, Fish on court Thursday as Atlanta Open plays through rain

Late afternoon and evening thunderstorms that have delayed play three straight days at the BB&T Atlanta Open are again in the forecast Thursday and onward through the weekend.

The tournament is the first men’s event in the Emirates Airline US Open Series and is currently being held at Atlantic Station through Sunday.

Despite the stoppages - 90 minutes Monday, three hours Tuesday, and a Wednesday halt of play for four-and-a-half hours – the tournament is progressing along with a full schedule of matches ready to be played Thursday.

On Wednesday, No. 4 seed Andy Roddick advanced into the quarterfinals with a 7-6(4), 6-3 win over Nicolas Mahut. Third-seeded Kei Nishikori needed three sets to advance past qualifier Ricardas Berankis, while No. 5 seed Kevin Anderson fell 6-7, 6-4, 6-4 to Michael Russell.

The top two seeds, No. 1 John Isner and two-time tournament champ and second-seeded Mardy Fish, are scheduled to hit the Stadium Court for the first time on Thursday. American James Blake was scheduled to take on Matthew Ebden at 1 p.m., which would be followed by Fish against Gilles Muller.

Then Americans Steve Johnson and Jack Sock would play before Isner faces Belgium’s Ruben Bemelmans in a match scheduled not to begin before 7 p.m. Of course, wet weather could send the schedule out of whack for a fourth straight day.

The rain has helped keep bigger crowds away. But for those fans attending, the temps have been cooler, while the on-court play hot and performed at a high level. In all, 10 matches are scheduled for Thursday. See the attached schedule of play.

Tickets for the BB&T Atlanta Open are on sale here.

SmashZone is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. until the tournament concludes. The 53-foot trailer, which anchors four kid-sized tennis courts for youth play, features games such as Rally Courts and Target Challenge and interactive activities like Wii Tennis, Tennis Magazine Green Screen Cover Shoot and touch-screen kiosks.

The Publix Family Zone is an exciting place in Atlantic Station’s Central Park where families can show off their tennis skills on four 36-foot courts staffed by local teaching pros. BB&T Atlanta Open players will make appearances at the Publix Family Zone on Thursday, July 19 at 3 p.m.