All four seeded players advanced to the quarterfinals

LOUISIANA La. - Louisiana State's Cory Ross and Louisiana's Evghenii Corduneanu cruised to the quarterfinals of the Men's A Division Singles draw here at Cajun Courts after the first day of play at the 2003 Ragin' Cajuns Men's Tennis Classic. All four seeded players advanced to the quarterfinal round of the Men's A draw.

Ross defeated Arkansas-Little Rock's Dave Baxendine 6-0, 5-7, 6-1 in the first round of the men's A draw. Ross then eased past UNO's Nicholas Howard 6-1, 6-0 to advance to the quarterfinals. Ross will play Juanjo Martin of Southern Miss who defeated Louisiana's Amanjot Singh 7-5, 7-6 to advanced to the quarterfinal round.

No. 3-seeded David Corrie (Texas-Arlington) defeated Lamar's Naaem Kath (Lamar) 6-3, 6-2. Corrie then defeated South Alabama's Pavel Mazaev 6-0, 6-3.

South Alabama's Clinton Jacobs, seeded No. 4 in the tournament, went to three sets against Tulane's David Goulet, but came out victorious 5-7, 6-3, 6-1. Jacobs then downed Mississippi State's Lui Carvalho 6-3, 6-0.

In the Men's B Division singles draw, UL sophomore Ivan Kovalev advanced to the quarterfinals after two two-set victories. In the first round, Kovalev defeated USM's Thomas Funice 6-1, 6-2 and knocked off Southeastern Louisiana's Paul Birkett 6-2, 6-0 in the second round.

UL sophomore and No. 2 seed Evghenii Corduneanu defeated Southeastern Louisiana's Eric Subirats 6-2, 6-3 in the first round of the Men's A singles draw. Corduneanu then defeated Reid Bourgeois of Southern Miss in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4.

Two Cajuns lost their first round matches on Friday.

Freshman and Lafayette native Zack Saloom lost to Dylan Mazey (Southern Miss) 6-4, 2-6, 6-4. In the consolation bracket, Saloom eliminated Arkansas-Little Rock's Walter Whitmire 6-0, 6-3. Saloom will face Southern's Gregory Pipkins Saturday at 9 a.m. in the quarterfinals of the Men's B division consolation.

Durban, South Africa, native Shaun Ellison dropped a 6-0, 6-1 decision to South Alabama's Pavel Mazaev. Ellison defeated Lamar's Naaem Kath 6-1, 6-1. Ellison will face Tulane's Max Lacroix in the second round of consolation Saturday at 9 a.m.

Doubles play began at 4:30 p.m. and results were not available at press time. Action will continue on Saturday here at the 2003 Ragin' Cajuns Men's Tennis Classic at Cajun Courts. Tournament play will begin at 9 a.m.

2003 Ragin' Cajuns Men's Tennis Classic Louisiana La.(Cajun Courts)

Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns Individual Results

Men's A Division Singles
First Round
Amanjot Singh def. Max Fomine (MSU) 7-5, 7-6
Pavel Mazaev (USA) def. Shaun Ellison 6-0, 6-1
Brian Fischer (LSU) def. Marc Castellana 7-5, 3-6, 7-5
(2) Evghenii Corduneanu def. Eric Subirats (SLU) 6-2, 6-3

Second Round
Juanjo Martin (USM) def. Amanjot Singh 6-4, 6-0
(2) Evghenii Corduneanu def. Reid Bourgeois (USM) 6-2, 6-4

Men's A Division Singles
Consolation
Shaun Ellison def. Naaem Kath (Lamar) 6-1, 6-1
Olivier Nussbaum (SLU) def. Marc Castellana 7-5, 6-4

Men's B Division Singles
First Round
Dylan Mazey (USM) def. Zack Saloom 6-4, 2-6, 6-4
Ivan Kovalev def. Thomas Funice (USM) 6-1, 6-2

Second Round
Ivan Kovalev def. Paul Birkett (SLU) 6-2, 6-0

Men's B Division Singles
Consolation
Zack Saloom def. Walter Whitmire (UALR) 6-0, 6-3

LOUISIANA SI