Aug. 15, 2006
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Georgia Tech junior Jordan Delass captured the Intercollegiate Tennis Association National Summer Championships singles title Tuesday afternoon at the Indiana University Varsity Tennis Center. With the win, Delass earns a wild card into the first national tournament of the 2006-07 collegiate tennis season – the Polo Ralph Lauren All-American Championships in October.
The ITA National Summer Championships, presented by the United State Tennis Association (USTA), are the pinnacle of the ITA Collegiate Summer Circuit, which was played at 23 regional sights throughout the country in July. A record-2,624 players participated in the ITA Collegiate Summer Circuit events this year.
Delass, a native of Marietta, Ga., came back after dropping his first set 1-6 to defeat Louisiana State’s Danny Bryan 1-6, 7-5, 10-8 (match tiebreaker) in the final.
“Danny came out playing really well in the first set and I was really doubting myself,” said Delass, who finished among the top point leaders in both the East and Southeast ITA Circuits this summer. “I got down early in the second set and just kept telling myself to hang in there. I knew I’d have to play almost perfect tennis to be beat him and fortunately I was able to put things together as the match went on.
“My number one goal this summer was to win this tournament and get a wild card into the All-Americans. So it feels good to be able to commit to something and see it come together like it has.”
Earlier in the day, Delass dropped Vanderbilt’s Nick Cromydas in the semifinals, 7-5, 6-3.
“Jordan has been playing tournaments all summer and doing well,” said Georgia Tech head coach Kenny Thorne. “Although he went into this tournament with an injury, he really competed well and fulfilled his goal of winning this tournament.
“Anytime you can come back (from a 1-6 first set loss) at that level of the tournament and win is great victory. He’s had a very good week, and has earned his way into the All-American tournament, which will help him tremendously in the rankings. It’s just a great way to begin the season for both him and this team.”
Delass, who won six matches in a four-day span, became the first Atlantic Coast Conference player to win the ITA summer title since Virginia’s Brian Vahaly, who is also a Georgia native, did so in 2000.
The Polo Ralph Lauren Men’s All-American Championships takes place Oct. 5-8 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
This was the sixth straight year that Indiana University served as tournament host.
Complete draws and results are available on the IU and ITA websites at www.iuhoosiers.com and www.itatennis.com.
