Tennis 2004
MEN’S TENNIS RANKINGS RELEASED: CAJUNS HAVE TWO IN TOP 100
LOUISIANA La. – The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) released its 2004-05 preseason mens’ tennis poll Sunday with two of the University of Louisiana’s players ranked in the top 100.
Evghenii Cordeneanu is ranked 38th, the highest for any player under Cajuns’ tennis head coach Justin McGrath. Amanjot Singh was the second Cajun to make a mark in the poles, coming in at number 92.
“I’m very pleased to see two UL players make preseason polls,” said McGrath. “We have a good base to start from, now we have to work to maintain and further our ranking.”
Cordeneanu proved that he deserved his ranking in last weekend’s Wild Card Futures Tournament in Hammond, La.
Cordeneanu won all of his matches against some of the University of Mississippi’s top players and was crowned the tournament champion.
The Rebels finished fifth last year and have the preseason’s number one ranked player in the country, Catalin Gard. Gard and Cordenaenu did not meet in match play, but Cordeneanu had little trouble with the rest of Mississippi’s team, winning each match in straight sets.
The win gives Cordeneanu one ATP point and clinches an automatic berth in the Smith Barney Challenger, a tournament that will pit him against not only the country’s top collegiate players, but professionals as well.
“We are excited for him,” said McGrath. “We are looking forward to seeing him compete against top collegiate players in the country.”
The two newcomers to the Cajuns’ roster, Dusan Tabak and Chris Harfield, also participated in the tournament. Tabak pulled out of the first round after an injury and Harfield made it to the second round before being defeated.
LOUISIANA SI
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