DENTON, Texas ? Top-seeded South Alabama won its 17th Sun Belt Men’s Tennis Championship blanking third-seeded Denver in impressive fashion Sunday afternoon, 4-0 at the Waranch Tennis Complex. With the win, No. 27 USA improves to 21-4 on the year and earned the Sun Belt Conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
“I am very proud of these guys with the heart and character they played with throughout the year,” head coach Jaco Keyser said. “We are all excited to go to the NCAA’s and it will be the first time for all the players.
Denver’s doubles duo of Adam Homstrom and Niklas Persson, ranked 46th nationally, took the No. 1 doubles match with an 8-2 win over Jaguar duo Robert Hodel and Marek Sramek. The Jaguars came back with wins at Nos. 2 and 3 to win the doubles team point. Senior Dias Doskarayev and sophomore Craig Dunne won 8-5 at No. 3 over Jake Goldberg and Matt Kranich, while juniors Jack Baker and R.J. Nagel defeated Pioneer duo Kalle Rosen and Njec Smole, 8-6.
Baker, who was named Tournament MVP, put the Jags up 2-0 with a 6-2, 6-0 win at No. 2. Baker went 3-0 in singles for the tournament and 3-0 in doubles. Baker was ranked 123rd nationally entering the tournament.
The Jags went up 3-0 as Nagel blanked Rosen 6-0, 6-0. USA clinched the championship as Dunne won in straight sets 6-0, 6-3 over Goldberg.
For the tournament, USA did not lose a team point in three matches, winning all of them 4-0.
The 2007 NCAA Division I men’s and women’s tennis selection announcements will take place Tuesday, May 1 on ESPNEWS. The program will air at 1:30 p.m. (CT).
“I am really proud of these guys, they fought through some tough moments this season and deserve this championship,” assistant coach Dan Silverstein said. “We are looking forward to the NCAA Tournament.
