May 29, 2007

Somdev Devvarman Wins NCAA Singles Championship

ATHENS, Ga. - Cavalier junior Somdev Devvarman (Chennai, India) became the first men's tennis player in ACC history to win an NCAA Singles Championship, downing Georgia's John Isner in the final Monday night at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex. In one of the most dramatic finals in the 123-year history of the tournament, Devvarman scored a 7-6 (7), 4-6, 7-6 (2) win over the tournament's No. 1 seed.

The first set was indicative of how close the match would be. Both second-seeded Devvarman and top-seeded Isner held in each of their six service games, with neither losing any more than two points in any game. With the first set on the line, Devvarman opened up an early 3-1 lead in the tiebreaker. Isner rallied to draw even, tying the breaker at 4-4. Devvarman won the next two points, to earn two set points. However, Isner would win the next three points to take a 7-6 lead and earn his own set point. Devvarman won the next two points on his serve to take an 8-7 lead for his third set point. Up 8-7, Devvarman took advantage of a second serve from Isner and hit a return winner past the Bulldog to take the opening set.

Somdev Devvarman Wins ITA/Rafael Osuna Sportsmanship Award

ATHENS, Ga. - Virginia junior Somdev Devvarman (Chennai, India) was named the recipient of the 2007 ITA/Rafael Osuna Sportsmanship Award during the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's national award ceremony Tuesday in conjunction with the NCAA Championships. The award is annually given to a men's tennis player who displays sportsmanship, character, excellent academics and has had outstanding tennis playing accomplishments.

This season, Devvarman is currently ranked No. 2 nationally in both singles and doubles. He has a 38-5 singles record, including a 30-3 record at No. 1 singles. The 2006 NCAA singles runner-up, Devvarman is also a three-time All-ACC honoree. He led the Cavaliers to a 30-4 record in 2007 as Virginia won the ACC Championship and became the first ACC school to reach the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament.

D'Agord's Run Comes to a Close in NCAA Quarterfinals

Athens, Ga. - Four-time University of Miami men's tennis All-American Luigi D'Agord (Freeport, Bahamas) saw his collegiate career come to a close with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 loss to Illinois' fourth-seeded Kevin Anderson on Saturday afternoon in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Men's Tennis Championship at the University of Georgia's Dan Magill Tennis Center. "I had a great time at this tournament," said D'Agord. "I really enjoyed playing at UM. I got a lot better and I'm looking forward to playing at the next level."

D'Agord, the two-time ACC Player of the Year, concludes his two-year Miami career with a 64-10 overall singles record and a 46-16 doubles mark. His 36-5 overall singles record as a junior in 2006 ranks second in Miami history, while his 28-5 singles record this season ties the eighth-best mark in program history and leads the team in 2007.

NCAA Run Ends In Semifinals For Adamski, Paul

Athens, Ga. - The quest for a national championship in doubles ended for Wake Forest's Mariusz Adamski and Todd Paul in the NCAA semifinals on Sunday in Athens, Ga. The Deacons were defeated by Kevin Anderson and Ryan Rowe of Illinois, the defending national champions, 7-5, 7-5.

The match could have gone the other way for the Deacons, but golden opportunities to win both the first and second sets slipped through their fingers.

Cavaliers Reach NCAA Singles and Doubles Semifinals

ATHENS, Ga. - Two members of the Virginia men's tennis team continued their strong play at the NCAA Individual Championships with a pair of wins on quarterfinal Saturday at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex. Junior Somdev Devvarman (Chennai, India) cruised into the semifinals of the singles draw, while Devvarman and fellow junior Treat Huey (Alexandria, Va.) advanced to the doubles semifinals.

Second-seeded Devvarman advanced to the singles semifinals for the second consecutive year, rolling past No. 6 seed Arnau Brugues of Tulsa 6-0, 6-2. Devvarman opened the match strong, taking the first set 6-0, losing just six points in the process. Brugues, who won the ITA All-American Championship title in the fall, tried to mount a comeback in the second set, taking an early 2-0 lead. However, Devvarman regrouped and rolled off six straight games to close out the match, 6-0, 6-2.