May 25, 2000

ATHENS, Ga. ---- Duke junior Andres Pedroso (Coral Gables, Fla.) earned All-America honors and advanced to the round of 16 in the NCAA singles championship with a three-set victory over Marco Baron of Mississippi State on Thursday. Pedroso, ranked 48th nationally, topped Baron, who was seeded eighth in the 64-player bracket, 7-6 (4), 5-7, 6-4. It was his second three-set victory in as many days.

The 16 remaining players in the singles bracket have now earned All-America status, and Pedroso's honor is the first for a Duke singles player since Rob Chess did it in 1996. Current Blue Devil senior Doug Root (Mendham, N.J.) and Jordan Wile were named an All-America doubles team in 1997.

Pedroso next faces Carlos Drada of Kentucky on Friday. Drada also defeated a seeded player in the second round, winning in three sets. Another Duke junior, Ramsey Smith (Hilton Head, S.C.), saw his bid for an NCAA singles championship end with a three-set loss to Virginia's Brian Vahaly, the 2000 ACC Player of the Year. After Vahaly took the first set, 6-2, Smith rebounded with a 6-4 win in the second. Vahaly then took the third set 6-3 for the right to advance.

Duke's No. 1 doubles tandem of Root and Smith, ranked fifth nationally, is playing the 30th-ranked duo of Matt Amgwerd and Nic Dubey of New Mexico. As of 9:40 p.m. Thursday, Root/Smith had won the first set, 6-4, and were down 2-0 in the second set. An update will be sent as soon as the match is over.