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Aug. 25, 2004
CHARLOTTESVILLE – The Virginia men’s tennis team signed two players to complete its 2004-05 first-year class. Jarrett Chirico (Bradenton, Fla.) and Somdev Devvarman (Tamil Nadu, India) join the three players signed last fall as this season’s first-year class.
“Jarrett and Somdev complete a very successful recruiting class for our program,” says head coach Brian Boland. “We are pleased that we were able to accomplish what we set out to do in finalizing this class. The upcoming season should be exciting for both the players and our fans. Jarrett and Somdev are extremely dedicated to developing their tennis to the highest level while at the same time doing an outstanding job in classroom. We are excited to work with our new players and have little doubt they will make make positive contributions to the program.”
Chirico has been one of the top junior players in the nation over the past several years. In 2002, he was ranked No. 1 nationally in the USTA boys’ 16s rankings. He has also reached as high as a No. 17 ranking internationally in the ITF rankings. In 2002, he won the prestigious Easter Bowl Tournament singles title, a year after winning the doubles title at the event. He also has third and fourth place doubles finishes at the Easter Bowl. He won two ITF singles titles in 2002 and in 2003 reached the singles semifinals of the USTA International Hard Courts and the quarterfinals of the USTA Grass Courts while winning the doubles titles at both. Overall, Chirico has won seven singles and five doubles titles on the USTA and ITF circuits since 2000.
Devvarman has been the top junior player in India in both singles and doubles over the past few years. In 2003, he reached a No. 40 singles and a No. 5 doubles ranking internationally in the ITF rankings. Over the past three seasons, he has won five singles and six doubles tournaments on the ITF circuit, while also participating in the prestigious US Open and Australian Open Junior tournaments. Last December, he reached the singles quarterfinals and the doubles finals of the Men’s All-India National Championships. In 2002, Devvarman reached the singles semifinals of that event while also winning the national U-18 championship.
Chirico and Devvarman join Treat Huey (Alexandria, Va.), Eric Riley (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.), and Andrew Downing (Virginia Beach, Va.) to complete the class.
Since his signing with Virginia last fall, Huey has vaulted his ranking to No. 1 in the nation in the USTA boys’ 18s singles rankings. He won three singles titles on the USTA circuit in 2004, while also winning two doubles titles, including the Easter Bowl. In the past month, Huey has competed at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic in Washington, D.C. and has been featured in Sports Illustrated’s “Faces in the Crowd”.
Since his signing with the Cavaliers last fall, Riley has continued his doubles success on the junior tennis circuit. This summer, he won the doubles title at the National Clay Court Championships.
These five players join a Cavalier program that has every starter back from 2003-04, when Virginia won its first ACC Championship, set school records with 24 dual match wins and a No. 8 ITA ranking, and reached the round of 16 in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in history.