Michael Shabaz Named ACC Player of the Week

Story Links

CHARLOTTESVILLE – Virginia junior tennis player Michael Shabaz (Fairfax, Va.) was named the ACC Men’s Tennis Player of the Week, conference officials announced Tuesday. Shabaz led the No. 2 Cavaliers to three victories last week as Virginia ran its regular season win streak to 63 consecutive matches.

In the season opener on Monday, the Cavaliers defeated No. 75 William & Mary 15-0. Over the weekend, Virginia posted road victories at No. 15 Illinois (6-1) and No. 30 Notre Dame (7-4).

Shabaz, ranked No. 3 nationally in singles, won all three of his singles matches in straight sets. Against the Tribe, Shabaz defeated Anton Andersson 6-2, 6-3 at No. 2 singles. He defeated No. 43 Dennis Nevolo of Illinois 6-4, 6-3 at the No. 1 position on Friday and No. 93 Stephen Havens of Notre Dame 6-4, 6-2 at No. 2 singles on Sunday.

Shabaz also teamed with Sanam Singh (Chandigarh, India) at No. 1 doubles in all three matches, posting a 2-1 record. Against William & Mary, the duo defeated No. 26 Keziel Juneau and Sebastien Vidal 9-7. They also topped Notre Dame’s Casey Watt and Tyler Davis in a tiebreaker that clinched the doubles point for Virginia in that match.

The award is the first of Shabaz’s career and the first for a Cavalier this season.

The Cavaliers will have two weeks off before returning to action on Feb. 6 when they travel to Lexington, Ky., to play Kentucky and Eastern Kentucky.