The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Men's Tennis ranks No. 2 in ITA preseason poll
01.06.2009 | Men's Tennis
Jan. 6, 2009
AUSTIN, Texas -- Texas landed a No. 2 preseason team ranking Tuesday from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) and earned the highest rank for the Longhorns under ninth-year head coach Michael Center.
Texas returns four singles starters and five doubles starters from the 2008 squad that finished as the NCAA runner-up after suffering a 4-2 defeat to Georgia in the NCAA title match in Tulsa, Okla. Texas finished at No. 4 in the final 2008 team rankings and had reached as high as No. 3 in the ITA tennis rankings during the 2006 season, when the Longhorns reached the NCAA semifinals.
Under Center, the 2007 USPTA National College Coach of the Year and assistant coach Ricardo Rubio, the 2008 ITA National Assistant Coach of the Year, Texas boasts four returning singles starters who have been featured in the ITA singles rankings during their careers. Junior Dimitar Kutrovsky, who clinched Texas' quarterfinal and semifinal victories at the 2008 NCAA Championship, ranks 31st in the ITA preseason singles rankings. Talented newcomer Olivier Sajous, a transfer from Florida Atlantic, ranks 85th in singles, and Kutrovsky and junior Josh Zavala hold a No. 25 doubles ranking.
UT also welcomes the return of sophomores Ed Corrie and Kellen Damico, who were featured in the ITA singles and doubles rankings throughout their freshman seasons. Senior Miguel Reyes Varela, who also has had stints in the ITA singles rankings, returns after earning spots in singles and doubles on the 2008 NCAA All-Tournament Team.
Texas opens the 2009 dual-match season on Sunday, Jan. 18 at Tulsa.
Horns Host Preseason Banquet
The Texas men's and women's tennis programs will host their annual preseason banquet on Friday, Jan. 16 in the Centennial Room at UT's Bellmont Hall, located on the west side of Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. The banquet, which gets under way at 6:30 p.m. Central, will feature remarks from men's coach Michael Center and women's coach Patty Fendick-McCain.
To purchase tickets for the banquet, please contact Mary Juarez at mary.juarez@athletics.utexas.edu.
