Fresno State Athletics
'Dogs Vying for National Team Indoors Invite
1/28/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Jan. 28, 2010
FRESNO, Calif. - No. 46 Fresno State has one of its biggest opportunities of the early season this weekend, as it travels to College Station, Texas, to compete for an invitation to the ITA National Team Indoor Championships.
The Bulldogs start the weekend against the host 12th-ranked Texas A&M Aggies on Friday. Depending on the results of that match, Fresno State will face either No. 24 Oklahoma State or No. 34 Rice on Saturday.
If the 'Dogs win both matches, they will earn a berth in the ITA National Team Indoors Sweet 16 on Feb. 12-15 in Charlottesville, Va., and a chance to face up to four Top 15 teams.
Fresno State is currently riding a three-match winning streak to begin the season and feature two nationally ranked doubles teams, No. 20 Mirko Zapletal and Taylor Leiby and No. 36 Rikus de Villiers and Remi Boutillier, and one singles player, No. 83 David Ayoun.
Boutillier and senior Tejesvi Veerepalli are both off to a 3-0 start for the spring season in singles action. The 'Dogs also have yet to lose a doubles match in the spring.
Texas A&M started its spring 3-0 and is coming off an NCAA Sweet 16 appearance in 2009. Junior Jeff Dadamo leads the Aggies with a No. 32 singles ranking and a No. 18 doubles ranking with partner Austin Krajicek.
This will be the first meeting with the Aggies in Bulldog history.
Oklahoma State picked up a 5-2 victory over Memphis on Jan. 23 in its only match thus far. The Cowboys boast the defending Big 12 Player of the Year in No. 15 Oleksandr Nedovyesov, as well as No. 44 Anton Bobytskyi. In doubles, No. 15 Aleksey Bessonov and Nedovyesov and No. 39 David Tillem and Charlie Caris lead the Cowboys.
Oklahoma State owns a 3-0 record all-time against the Bulldogs, including a 4-1 victory in 2009 at the Blue-Gray Classic.
Rice is entering the weekend with a 2-0 record, which came off a pair of 7-0 sweeps against Lamar and Prairie View A&M. No. 19 Bruno Rosa leads the Owls in singles and No. 51 Michael Nusslein and Christian Saravia lead them in doubles.
Rice is 2-0 in the series history with Fresno State.
After Saturday, the Bulldogs next action will be Feb. 3 at California, followed by a home doubleheader on Feb. 7 against Santa Clara and San Francisco.
"We Are Your Team" - Make plans to be there for the Fresno State home doubleheader on Feb. 7 against Santa Clara and San Francisco. For all the up to date information on Fresno State men's tennis stay logged on to gobulldogs.com.
