Oct. 17, 2007
ATLANTA – The Georgia Tech men’s tennis team will be competing at the 2007 ITA Wilson Mideast Region Championships this week on the University of Virginia campus in Charlottesville, Va. The tournament will run from Oct. 17-22 at the Boyd Tinsley Courts at the Boar’s Head Sports Club.
Six Jackets will be competing at the event, which features almost 200 of the best players in the region competing to qualify for the ITA National Championships next month in Columbus, Ohio. The two singles finalists and the doubles champion from the regional will automatically qualify for the national championships.
“Our goal is to win this weekend,” head coach Kenny Thorne said. “We have three seniors who have played at this event before and three freshmen that have a really good opportunity of advancing. It will be exciting to see our guys play and compete against some of the top players in our region.”
Tech’s David North, ranked 25th in the preseason ITA singles rankings is among a field of 22 players currently ranked among the nations top 125 collegiate athletes. Also competing for the Jackets at the ITA event are seniors Jose Muguruza and Scott Blackmon and freshmen Guillermo Gomez, Miguel Muguruza and Ryan Smith.
“David (North) is going to play singles for this first time since he competed at the NCAA’s,” Thorne said. “We are excited to have him back out on the court. I am also glad to get Jose (Muguruza) and Scott (Blackmon) back out on the court. “
Smith and Miguel Muguruza will each compete in the qualifying draw, which begins on Wednesday. Smith has received a first round bye and needs two wins to advance to the main draw, while Muguruza must win three matches to advance.
In doubles play, the Jackets will have three teams competing. Blackmon and Smith, the tandem that won the doubles draw title at the Georgia Tech Fall Tournament, will team again this weekend. Also playing together are Gomez and North and the first time pairing of the Muguruza brothers.
Draws and tournament information can be found at Tennislink.usta.com. Results from the ITA Wilson Mideast Region Championships will be posted at the end of each day on www.ramblinwreck.com, Georgia Tech’s official athletic website.
– RamblinWreck.com –
