Sept. 11, 2002

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - When the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) men's and women's pre-season rankings were released, a pair of Memphis doubles teams were listed.

On the men's side, the duo of Ben Stapp (Sydney, Australia/St. Joseph's) and Lee Taylor Walker (Jackson, Tenn./University School of Jackson) finished the 2001-2002 season ranked No. 54 in the country, but moved up 25 spots to No. 29 in the country in the pre-season rankings. Stapp and Walker finished with an 18-9 at No. 1 doubles for the Tigers last season. The Tiger team grabbed 184 votes in the pre-season poll to rank 29th in the country. The team of Jean-Julien Rojer and Marcin Matkowski from UCLA is the top ranked doubles team in the ITA poll.

On the women's side, some Lady Tiger history was made as the first-ever national ranking for a Lady Tiger doubles team was also handed down. The duo of seniors Sabrina Lindemann (Linz, Austria) and Monica Gonzalez-Gordo (Barcelona, Spain) was ranked No. 31 in the country in women's doubles.

The nationally-ranked women's duo will open their season, Friday, at 4:30 p.m. in the Saint Louis Fall Invitational. They will play the winner of the O'Handley/Cutler (SLU) and Brunner/Freeman (East Illinois) match. Lindemann and Gonzalez-Gordo are seeded first in the A Doubles Draw.

The women's tennis team opens its schedule at the Saint Louis University Tournament beginning Friday. The Lady Tigers will be joined by the University of Dayton, Eastern Illinois University, Southeast Missouri, Northern Iowa, Wichita State and Xavier University at the tournament.

Women's Tennis Schedule for Saint Louis Tournament
A Singles
Fri., 12:30 p.m. -- No. 2 seed Sabrina Lindemann (UM) vs. winner Becky Brunner (EIU)/Vicki Zielinski (SLU)
Fri., 12:30 p.m. - No. 3 seed Monica Gonzalez-Gordo (UM) vs. winner Stephanie Bauer (XU)/Daniella Garcia (SEMO)

B Singles
Fri., 12:30 p.m. - No. 1 seed Sumitra Rao (UM) vs. winner Andrea Aldana (SEMO)/Becky Carlson (EIU)
Fri., 12:30 p.m. - No. 2 seed Vicky Gruber (UM) vs. winner Lindsay Dressman (XU)/Wendy Webster (WSU)

C Singles
Fri., 12:45 p.m. - No. 1 seed Andrea Feichtinger (UM) vs. winner Andrea Kelly (XU)/Kay Ehlke (SEMO)
Fri., 10 a.m. - No. 3 seed Marlene Dirnstorfer (UM) vs. Natalie Guzman (WSU)

D Singles
Fri., 10:15 a.m. - Kristen Noble (UM) vs. Katy Wiles (XU)
Fri., 10:30 a.m. - Rebecca Garner (UM) vs. Emily Tuchscherer (XU)

A Doubles
Fri., 4:30 p.m.--No. 1 seed Lindemann/Gonzalez-Gordo (UM) vs. winner O'Handley/Cutler (SLU)/Brunner/Freeman (EIU)
Fri., 4:30 p.m. - No. 4 seed Gruber/Rao (UM) vs. Lenfert/Carlson (EIU)

B Doubles
Fri., 5:30 p.m. -- No. 1 seed Feichtinger/Dirnstorfer (UM) vs. winner Nafziger/Tuchsherer (XU)/Doyle/Steer (SLU)
Fri., 4:00 p.m. - Noble/Garner (UM) vs. Matouskova/Milosevic (EIU)