UVa's Vahaly Wins First Round Match at ITA All-American

Story Links

Oct. 12, 2000

STONE MOUNTAIN, Ga. – Fourth-year University of Virginia men’s tennis player Brian Vahaly (Atlanta, Ga./The Lovett School) defeated Pepperdine’s Sebastien Graeff, 7-6(3), 6-2, in the first round of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Men’s All-American championships at the Lincoln Tennis Center at Stone Mountain Thursday (October 12). Vahaly is the tournament’s No. 3 seed, and is looking to advance to the finals for the second consecutive year. He lost to Stanford’s K.J. Hippensteel in last year’s final.

The All-American Championships serve as the second leg of the 2000-01 ITA Grand Slam. Last month’s T. Rowe Price National Clay Court Championships, in which Vahaly lost in the finals in both singles and doubles, marked the first leg of the ITA Grand Slam. Vahaly’s doubles partner at the T. Rowe Price National Clay Courts was fellow Cavalier Huntley Montgomery (Chapel Hill, N.C./Chapel Hill). Montgomery, who is also a fourth-year, lost in the first round of singles action at the All-American Championships Thursday (October 12) to Travis Parrott from the University of Georgia, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.

Vahaly advances to face the winner of a match between Mississippi State’s Rene Combette and Minnesotta’s Harsh Mankad later this afternoon in the second round of matches. Meanwhile, Montgomery will move on to the consolation draw at the All-American Championships.

In addition to their second round of matches this afternoon, Vahaly and Montgomery will play as a team in the doubles draw. The duo is seeded seventh at the tournament and will play Texas’ Ronald Kloppert and Jean Simon tonight at 6:30 p.m.