Somdev Devvarman Named ACC Player of the Week

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Jan. 30, 2006

CHARLOTTESVILLE – Virginia men’s tennis player Somdev Devvarman (Chennai, India) was named ACC Men’s Tennis Player of the Week conference officials announced Monday. Devvarman clinched a pair of Cavalier wins last week with wins over nationally ranked players.

On Wednesday, as the Cavaliers opened their new indoor tennis stadium, Devvarman clinched the 4-3 win over No. 33 VCU. Devvarman defeated No. 51 ranked Arnaud Lecloerec at No. 1 singles, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 to seal the win for Virginia. Against the Rams in doubles, Devvarman teamed with Treat Huey (Alexandria, Va.) for an 8-5 win over Petr Olsak and Sebastian Ripoll at No. 1.

Two days later, Devvarman again clinched a 4-3 Cavalier victory, as Virginia defeated No. 26 Notre Dame at the Country Club of Virginia in Richmond. With the dual match tied at 3-3, No. 10 ranked Devvarman captured a top ten showdown with No. 8 ranked Stephen Bass, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, to win the match for Virginia. The No. 35 ranked duo of Devvarman and Huey also won at No. 1 doubles against the Irish, defeating Ryan Keckley and Barry King 8-4.

On Sunday, in the Cavaliers 5-2 loss at No. 4 Illinois, Devvarman defeated GD Jones, the preseason No. 11 ranked player nationally, in a third set superbreaker.

The Player of the Week accolade is the first of Devvarman’s career. Devvarman teamed with women’s tennis player Kristen James, who was named ACC Women’s Tennis Player of the Week, to complete a Virginia sweep of the ACC weekly tennis awards. The last time the Cavaliers accomplished that feat was March 17, 2003, as Rylan Rizza won the men’s honor and Jen Tuchband won the women’s honor.

The Cavaliers (4-2) return home Saturday, February 4 as they host No. 7 Baylor. Match time at the Indoor Tennis Stadium at Boar’s Head Sports Club is 5:00 p.m.