PEACHTREE CORNERS, GA - Ross Whittaker is no stranger to taking down big names in singles. He beat Julian Arnold in North Carolina in April, and he struck again Tuesday morning, defeating No. 17 seed Roscoe Bellamy in the first round of the Vizzy Atlanta Open.

The No. 41 seed took the first game 11-9, but it looked like momentum returned to Bellamy’s side when the bronze medalist from the Veolia LA Open took Game 2 11-4 to even the match.

Whittaker didn’t back down, though, and he found his best form on his way to an 11-2 Game 3 win to secure his fifth singles victory in Atlanta after coming through Monday’s qualifying rounds.

One of the keys for the former Walsh University tennis player was using his length to his advantage on return points.

“I think my size helped put a lot of pressure on [Bellamy] to hit a good third shot past me, and that caused a few errors that gave me momentum and helped me get a lead,” he shared.

Whittaker will next face No. 11 seed Pablo Tellez in Wednesday’s Round of 32.