May 26, 2000

ATHENS, GA. - North Carolina men's tennis player Tripp Phillips continued his mercurial season Friday morning as he whipped Baylor's Johann Jooste, 7-6, 6-2 in the third round of the 2000 NCAA Division I Men's Tennis singles championship at the University of Georgia's Henry Feild Stadium.

Phillips won his 25th singles match of the season Friday morning to improve to 25-5 overall. He now faces his sternest test of his senior year, meeting the tournament's top seed, Jeff Morrison of Florida, at 2:15 p.m. Friday afternoon in the NCAA quarterfinals. Morrison defeated Robert Kendrick of Pepperdine 7-6, 6-2 Friday morning in the third round.

This is the fourth time since 1992 that a Tar Heel tennis player has reached the NCAA quarterfinals in singles. UNC legends and All-America performers Roland Thornqvist and David Caldwell achieved the feat in the 1990s with Thornqvist advancing to the final eight in 1992 and 1993 and Caldwell in 1995.

An upset win over Morrison by Phillips in Friday afternoon's quarterfinal would propel the Charlotte, N.C. native into the semifinals Saturday. No UNC men's tennis player has advanced beyond the quarterfinals since Carolina stalwart and former U.S Open and Wimbledon champion Vic Seixas did so in 1948. Seixas advanced to the finals that year before losing to Harry Likas of San Francisco, 6-4, 1-6, 7-5, 6-1.