University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
ITA Regional
Stevens, Jones Move Step Closer to Main Draw
October 22, 2009 | Men's Tennis
Oct. 22, 2009
Redshirt freshman Max Stevens and true freshman Edward Jones advanced to the final qualifying round Thursday at the ITA Ohio Valley Regional Championships in Bloomington, Ind.
Stevens and Jones both received first-round byes. A victory in the third round of qualifying Thursday morning means a spot in the main draw of singles. There are eight qualifying positions for the singles event.
Stevens defeated Memphis' Michael Janz 6-1, 7-6 (3) in the second round of qualifying. He faces Indiana's Alex van Gils on Thursday.
Jones dropped his first set to Butler's Chris Herron but quickly rebounded in the final two sets to win the match 4-6, 6-1, 6-3. Jones plays Wright State's Tore Waldhausen in the third qualifying round.
Doubles Schedule Released
Senior Davey Sandgren and junior John-Patrick Smith, the top-ranked doubles team in the nation, team up again Friday for the first time in nearly two months. The Tennessee duo won the top flight of the UVa Invitational in September and has a 3-0 record this season. Smith and junior Boris Conkic won the doubles title at the ITA All-American on Oct. 11, boosting Smith's doubles record this year to a perfect 8-0 and 4-0 against ranked opponents.
As the top seed, Sandgren and Smith received a first-round bye.
Conkic and true freshman Rhyne Williams are seeded sixth and also earned a bye. They reached the finals of the second flight of the UVa Invitational and are 2-1 as a pair this season. Thanks to the five wins at the All-American, Conkic is 7-1 in doubles this season and 53-16 in his career.
Senior Matt Brewer and junior Matteo Fago are scheduled to be doubles partners for the first time this week and are seeded ninth. Brewer is 0-2 in doubles with two different partners this season, but he is off to one of the best singles starts of his career with a 5-3 record. Fago is 1-2 in doubles and 6-3 in singles this season.
Stevens and Jones are also making their debut as a doubles team. Stevens is 6-3 in doubles, and Jones is 2-4. They play IUPUI's Daniel Klingenberg and Jorge Yunes on Thursday afternoon.
ITA Ohio Valley Regional Championships
Bloomington Indiana
Singles Qualifying
Second Round
Max Stevens, UT, def. Michael Janz, Memphis, 6-1, 7-6 (3)
Edward Jones, UT, def. Chris Herron, Butler, 4-6, 6-1, 6-3
Players Mentioned
