University of Tennessee Athletics
Joining the 100/100 Wins Club
April 07, 2015 | Men's Tennis
Let's take a closer inspection of Mikelis Libietis' 100 career singles wins. He is only the ninth Tennessee player to reach that milestone, the first since Boris Conkic in 2011.
During his run to 100, he defeated players from 27 different countries. Not surprisingly, the United States above and beyond leads the list with 40.
When it comes to wins against teams, he has five career victories against the following programs: Wake Forest (5-0), Tennessee Tech (5-0) and Duke (5-2). Three of his wins against Duke have come this season against Jason Tahir. By chance, the two faced in back-to-back fall tournaments.
| Nation | Win Count |
|---|---|
| 1. United States | 40 |
| 2. Germany | 8 |
| 2. France | 8 |
| 4. South Africa | 6 |
| 5. Spain | 5 |
| Ranking | Win Count |
|---|---|
| Top 10 | 1 |
| Top 25 | 9 |
| Top 50 | 26 |
| Total Ranked | 48 |
| Set # | Win Count |
|---|---|
| 2 Sets | 79 |
| 3 Sets | 21 |
By Amanda Pruitt
utsports.com
In the 4-0 road victory against Arkansas on Saturday, senior Mikelis Libietis became a part of exclusive company in Tennessee tennis history: the 100 singles/100 doubles wins club.
Libietis earned career singles win No. 100 in a 6-2, 6-3 victory at the top of the lineup over Giammarco Micolani. The senior Vol also collected his 114th doubles win.
The four older members of the club include: John-Patrick Smith (152 singles/146 doubles from 2008-11), Boris Conkic (108 singles/115 doubles from 2008-11), Byron Talbot (161 singles/131 doubles from 1985-88) and Shelby Cannon (140 singles/128 doubles from 1985-88).
So what does it take to get to 100? Here's a look at Libietis' milestone moments:
Singles Win No. 1 - Sept. 16, 2011
Libietis def. Adam Lee, Wake Forest, 7-5, 6-3
Libietis' first match for the Vols was at the Tennessee Fall Invitational, where he defeated Wake Forest's Adam Lee at Tyson Park. The soon-to-be lineup leader won five matches that weekend on his way to the flight 1 title, defeating freshman teammate Brandon Fickey in the finals 6-3, 7-6 (2).
Doubles Win No. 1 - Sept. 16, 2011
Libietis/Jarryd Chaplin def. Bivens/Meade, Winthrop, 8-4
Though Libietis' name in doubles would eventually -- and historically -- be tied to Hunter Reese, it's important to note that both seniors have won 21 matches with other teammates. Libietis first win came with Jarryd Chaplin in the first round of the Tennessee Fall Invitational. Two wins later, they won the top-flight doubles title. Libietis would go on to win 16 matches with Chaplin over the next two years.
Doubles Win No. 25 - April 15, 2012
Libietis/Hunter Reese def. #79 Doumbia/Pieters, Georgia, 8-3
The Vol duo closed out the SEC regular season with an 8-3 win over Georgia's pair at the top of the lineup. They qualified for the NCAA Doubles Championships for the first time just a month later, though they lost in the first round. Libietis started the next year playing with John Collins and Jarryd Chaplin, and Reese played with Brandon Fickey. The Vol No. 1 pair reunited on March 3, 2013 at Georgia Tech.
Singles Win No. 25 - Oct. 14, 2012
Libietis def. Jimmy Roebker, Xavier, 6-3, 6-4
Like win No. 1, win No. 25 came at the Tennessee Fall Invitational. Libietis defeated Roebker in straight sets in the quarterfinals on his way to his second title at Barksdale Stadium. By the end of his sophomore fall season, he had put together a 14-3 record that propelled him into the top 10 for the first time.
Singles Win No. 50 - March 24, 2013
Libietis def. #25 Ryan Lipman, Vanderbilt, 6-3, 6-2
In a long home rain-delayed dual match that started outdoors, spent some time under the lights, and eventually ended inside, Libietis defeated then-No. 25 Ryan Lipman 6-3, 6-2. His victory helped the Vols to a 4-2 win. Libietis went on to face Lipman four times as a sophomore and junior, with the two players winning two matches each.
Doubles Win No. 50 - March 24, 2013
Libietis/Reese def. Lipman/Van der Merwe, Vanderbilt, 8-3
On the same day he reached his 50th singles win, Libietis also collected doubles win No. 50.
Achieved the No. 1 National Doubles Ranking - April 23, 2013
Though Libietis and Reese just played the SEC season together, they shot up the rankings thanks to an undefeated record. They went 10-0 during conference play and then picked up more wins in the conference tournament to earn the No. 1 ranking for the first time.
Achieved the No. 1 National Singles Ranking - May 1, 2013
Though the Vols did not play a match between the ranking periods, a week elapsed before the computers agreed: Libietis was the No. 1-ranked player in both singles and doubles. He became the first player in program history to hold the No. 1 ranking in singles and doubles at the same time. John-Patrick Smith held the top rankings in both only a few years before, but not at once.
First National Title: 2013 ITA All-American Champions - Oct. 6, 2013
Doubles Win No. 75 - Jan. 31, 2014
Libietis/Reese def. Sude/Sachs, Oklahoma State, 6-5 (4)
In the midst of a nine-match winning streak to start the spring 2014 season, Libietis and Reese logged a road win at Oklahoma State, though the Vols eventually lost the dual match 4-2.
Singles Win No. 75 - Feb. 15, 2014
Libietis def. #22 Harrison Adams, Texas A&M, 6-5 (6), 6-5 (5)
In the consolation of the National Team Indoor Championships, Libietis defeated Harrison Adams in a pair of tiebreakers at the top of the lineup, though the Vols eventually lost to the Aggies 4-1. It was the second of three career singles wins Libietis would score against Texas A&M.
2014 NCAA Doubles Champions - May 26, 2014
Back-to-Back: 2014 ITA All-American Champions - Oct. 6, 2014
By this point, Libietis and Reese were just adding to their doubles lore, the stuff that can only be done accomplished over a career.
Entering the tournament seeded first, they became the first team to ever win back-to-back titles at the ITA All-American Championships. They beat five top-20 teams en route to the title, defeating Southern California's Yannick Hanfmann and Roberto Quiroz 6-3, 6-4 in the title round. The Vols dropped just a set during the tournament run, winning Tennessee's fourth doubles title at the All-American.
Doubles Win No. 100 - Oct. 10, 2014
Libietis/Reese def. Mark/Wong, Navy, 8-3
Fresh off their second title at the ITA All-American Championships, Libietis and Reese were back at it the next weekend at the Wake Forest Fall Invitational. The Vol duo beat Navy on their way to their second college title of the fall season. Libietis also won the Flight 2 singles title during the weekend.
2014 Knoxville Challenger Champions
It was the first Challenger title for either Vol and both vaulted to 600 in the ATP World Tour Rankings.
Career Singles Win No. 100
Libietis def. Giammarco Micolani, Arkansas, 6-2, 6-3
With the Vols playing shorthanded on the road, Mikelis Libietis led the way at the top of the lineup. Libietis was second off the court with a 6-2, 6-3 victory against Micolani to put the Vols up 3-0. The Arkansas ace had previously beaten Libietis twice on European clay.
 
