Jan. 12, 2009

TAMPA, Fla. - Jorge Vazquez, a senior from La Coruna, Spain who is currently rated as the 103rd-best singles player in the nation according to the latest ITA rankings, took down No. 23 ranked Roy Kalmanovich of Illinois on Sunday at the South Florida Invitational, 6-4, 7-5.

Kalmanovich is the third ranked player that Vazquez has defeated since beginning competitive play for the Tigers in September. Kalmanovich, a sophomore from Framingham, Mass., began the fall as the 98th-ranked singles player in the nation. He picked up wins over six ranked players in the fall, including Pepperdine's Bassam Beidas, who at the time was rated No. 15.

Despite Vazquez' stellar performance, the Tigers were unable to capture a victory over the 15th-rated Fighting Illini of Illinois on Sunday. The Tigers played the Fighting Illini close in two doubles matches but were unable to come away with victories. Benedikt Fischer and Jordan Smith fell to Illinois' Dennis Nevolo and Waylon Chin, 8-5, while Leon Nasemann and David Henry were upended by Marek Czerwinski and Marc Spicijaric, 9-7.

In singles, both Henry and Fischer played their opponents to third sets but were unable to come away with the wins. Henry lost to Abe Souza, 3-6, 6-1, 6-3. Fischer fell to Chin, 6-4, 2-6, 7-6(7-3).

On Saturday, the U of M picked up three doubles victories and seven singles victories over the Florida A&M Rattlers. Vazquez defeated FAMU's Artiom Podgainni, 6-1, 7-5. Nasemann, a sophomore from Wuppertahl, Germany, won the first set over the Rattler's Michael Moore, but lost the second set. Nasemann used a 6-2 win in the third set to take the match over Moore, 6-1, 4-6, 6-2.

In Friday's match vs. South Florida, the Tigers were unable to come away with any victories. Vazquez and Charlie Ramsay teamed together to put up a fight against the 15th-ranked doubles tandem of Lucas Jovita and Thomas Estrada, but lost the match, 8-6. In singles, Vazquez was defeated by 27th-ranked Jovita, 6-4, 7-5.

The U of M opens the dual season on Friday against No. 24 Rice in Houston, Texas. The match will also mark the first conference match of the season for the Tigers.