UVa's Brian Vahaly Advances to Title Match at 2001 NCAA Men's Tennis Championships

Story Links

May 27, 2001

ATHENS, Ga. – Fourth-year University of Virginia men’s tennis player Brian Vahaly (Atlanta, Ga./The Lovett School) defeated Pepperdine’s Al Garland, 6-4, 6-0, in the semifinals of the 2001 NCAA Men’s Tennis Championships in Athens, Ga. on Sunday (May 27). Vahaly will play for the title on Monday (May 28) against Georgia’s Matias Boeker, who is the tournament’s third seed. Vahaly and Boeker have not met during their collegiate careers.

Vahaly has now won a school-record 40 singles matches this season and has lost just five times during the 2000-01 campaign. In addition, Vahaly has advanced to at least the quarterfinals of three of the four Intercollegiate Tennis Association Grand Slam events during the 2001 season. He advanced to the finals at the T. Rowe Price National Clay Courts and the quarterfinals at the ITA All-American. Vahaly is seeking to become the first player in Atlantic Coast Conference history to win the NCAA singles title.

Vahaly is due to play again this afternoon when he and doubles partner Huntley Montgomery (Chapel Hill, N.C./Chapel Hill) play a quarterfinal match against Ryan Moore and Nick Rainey from Southern California. Rainey and Moore defeated Vahaly and Montgomery on May 12, 8-5, in the first round of the NCAA Team Championships. Vahaly and Montgomery are trying to become the first doubles team in ACC history to capture an NCAA title. Vahaly is also seeking to become the first player since Stanford’s Bob Bryan in 1998 to win a singles and doubles title in the same year.

SINGLES
First Round: Brian Vahaly (UVa) def. Nathan Overholser (Florida), 6-2, 6-1.Second Round: Brian Vahaly (UVa) def. Jean Simon (Texas), 4-6, 6-1, 6-3.
Third Round: Brian Vahaly (UVa) def. Matt Hanlin (Washington), 6-1, 6-1.Quarterfinals: Brian Vahaly (UVa) def. Phil King (Duke), 6-2, 1-6, 6-0.
Semifinals: Brian Vahaly (UVa) def. Al Garland (Pepperdine), 6-4, 6-0.