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Oct. 13, 1999
AUSTIN, Texas – University of Virginia third year tennis player HuntleyMontgomery (Chapel Hill, N.C./Chapel Hill) defeated John Long of Michigan7-6 (6), 6-7 (7), 7-6 (3) Wednesday in Second Round Qualifying action toadvance to the Main Draw of the 1999 Reebok/Intercollegiate TennisAssociation (ITA) Men’s All-American Championships. Montgomery, 76th inthe Preseason ITA Rankings, is one of 16 players to advance through thequalifying draw to the 64-player main draw, which begins tomorrow and isalso being held at the Penick-Allison Tennis Center at the University ofTexas.
In a very tightly contested match, Montgomery won both the first andmatch-clinching third sets in tie-breakers. The second set, whichMontgomery lost, was also decided by a tie-breaker. Montgomery, the fifthseed in the qualifying competition, advanced to the second round bydefeating Pawel Sebastianski of Tulsa 6-3, 6-1 on Tuesday.
Montgomery will also team with third year Brian Vahaly (Atlanta, Ga./TheLovett School) in the doubles portion of the All-American Championships.Vahaly and Montgomery, ranked sixth by the ITA, have automaticallyqualified for the Main Draw, which also begins on Thursday.
Vahaly, the ninth ranked singles player by the ITA, will also be competingin the Main Singles Draw. He received one of 48 automatic bids to the64-player draw.
The Reebok/ITA Men’s All-American Championships, the second leg of the ITAGrand Slam, is the nation’s largest NCAA Division I tennis tournament withover 350 competitors. Prequalifying began on October 9. The Championshipsconsists of a 64-player singles and a 32-team doubles main draw October14-18. The singles draw features 48 players who have received automaticberths into the main draw and 16 survivors from the qualifying tournamentheld October 12-13.