Men's Tennis Sweeps ETSU to Advance to ITA National Indoors
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CHARLOTTESVILLE The No. 5 Virginia men’s tennis team advanced to the 2009 ITA National Team Indoor Championships with a 7-0 win over No. 39 East Tennessee State Saturday night in a qualifying regional final at the Boyd Tinsley Courts at the Boar’s Head Sports Club. The Cavaliers, the reigning ITA National Indoor Champions, advance to the field of 16 next month at the Midtown Tennis Club in Chicago.
“We are excited to be going to Chicago,” said Virginia head coach Brian Boland. “We have had a lot of success there, making a final and a semifinal in our two previous trips. I think we are really playing well and are continuing to improve with each match. This was a very successful weekend for us. We played two outstanding teams in Arkansas and ETSU and competed well in some tough situations. That is a good sign this early in the season.”
Virginia (6-0) opened the match by taking the doubles point. The team of Sanam Singh (Chandigarh, India) and Houston Barrick (Brentwood, Tenn.) topped Enrique Oliveras and Alex Ahlgren 8-4 at No. 1 doubles. Dominic Inglot (London, England) and Michael Shabaz (Fairfax, Va.) clinched the opening point with their 8-4 win at No. 2 doubles over Charles Bottoni and Grega Teraz. The No. 3 doubles match was abandoned.
In singles, the Cavaliers doubled their lead as Drew Courtney (Clifton, Va.) downed Isaza 6-2, 6-0 at No. 6 singles. Shabaz made the score 3-0 with his 6-2, 6-4 win over Teraz at No. 3 singles. The dual match was clinched at the No. 1 position where Inglot scored his fourth consecutive win over a top-25 opponent, topping No. 9 Oliveras 6-3, 6-4. Barrick added a 6-1, 6-3 win over Ahlgren at No. 4 singles and Singh defeated Bottoni 7-5, 6-4 at No. 2 singles to make the score 6-0. The sweep was completed at No. 5 singles, where Steven Eeelkman Rooda (Amersfoort, The Netherlands), making his collegiate debut, rallied from losing the first set for a 6-7, 6-4, 10-4 win over Sander Gille.
In the first match of the day, No. 34 Wisconsin defeated No. 45 Arkansas 4-3
The Cavaliers conclude their seven-match homestand next weekend with a pair of matches at the Boyd Tinsley Courts. On Friday, the Cavaliers host Kentucky at 6 p.m. before opening ACC play on Sunday with a 2 p.m. match against Maryland.
No. 5 Virginia 7, No. 39 East Tennessee State 0
Doubles
1. #3 Singh/Barrick (UVa) def. Oliveras/Ahlgren (ETSU) 8-4
2. #27 Inglot/Shabaz (UVa) def. Bottoni/Teraz (ETSU) 8-4
3. Courtney/Singer (UVa) vs. Akser/Izasa (ETSU) 7-7 DNF
Singles
1. #43 Dominic Inglot (UVa) def. #9 Enrique Oliveras (ETSU) 6-3, 6-4
2. #24 Sanam Singh (UVa) def. Charles Bottoni (ETSU) 7-5, 6-4
3. #11 Michael Shabaz (UVa) def. Grega Teraz (ETSU) 6-2, 6-4
4. #68 Houston Barrick (UVa) def. Alex Ahlgren (ETSU) 6-1, 6-3
5. Steven Eelkman Rooda (UVa) def. Sander Gille (ETSU) 6-7(3), 6-4, 10-4
6. #108 Drew Courtney (UVa) def. Daniel Isaza (ETSU) 6-2, 6-0
Order of Finish
Doubles: 1,2
Singles: 6,3,1,4,2,5
Attendance: 177
No. 34 Wisconsin 4, No. 45 Arkansas 3
Doubles
1. Michalicka/Baumann (Wis) def. #14 Strode/Hogan (Ark) 8-6
2. Rassow-Kantor/Pohlmann (Wis) def. Tarnasky/Williams (Ark) 8-4
3. Lebedev/Nott (Ark) def. Dierberger/Marrack (Wis) 8-4
Singles
1. #15 Blake Strode (Ark) def. #36 Marek Michalicka (Wis) 6-0, 7-6 (4)
2. #117 Moritz Baumann (Wis) def. #39 Matt Hogan (Ark) 6-2, 6-2
3. Christopher Nott (Ark) def. Luke Rassow-Kantor (Wis) 6-0, 6-1
4. Dmitry Lebedev (Ark) def. Patrick Pohlmann (Wis) 7-5, 6-1
5. Michael Dierbeger (Wis) def. Tyler Tarnasky (Ark) 5-7, 6-4, 6-4
6. Peter Marrack (Wis) 6-4, 6-3 def. Bradwin Williams (Ark) 4-6, 6-3, 7-5
Order of Finish
Doubles: 2,3,1
Singles: 3,2,4,1,6,5