Miami Downs Georgia Tech to Advance in ACC Men's Tennis Tournament
April 19, 2007
CARY, N.C. – University of Miami sophomore Daniel Vallverdu (Valencia, Venezuela) battled past Georgia Tech’s Jose Muguruza to lift the eighth-seeded Hurricanes to a 4-3 victory over the ninth-seeded Yellow Jackets in the first round of the ACC Men’s Tennis Championship on Thursday morning at the Cary Tennis Center.
It was the third match-clinching win of the season for the All-ACC selection, as Vallverdu – ranked 50th in the nation – defeated Muguruza , 6-1, 6-7 (5), 6-4, at the No. 2 position to pick up his third singles victory in the last four matches.
The 35th-ranked Hurricanes (11-12) got off to a strong start in doubles competition, picking up dominating wins at No. 2 and 3 over the 45th-ranked Yellow Jackets (7-15) to earn the doubles point.
As the match moved into singles play, 10th-ranked senior Luigi D’Agord (Freeport, Bahamas) – the ACC Player of the Year for the second-straight season – quickly knocked off No. 28 David North, 6-2, 6-1, to put the `Canes up, 2-0.
But as the No. 4 singles match moved into the decisive third set, Miami junior Vivek Subramanian (East Brunswick, N.J.) had to withdraw and is questionable for Friday’s second round. Prior to retiring from the match, Subramanian had rallied after a first-set 6-3 loss, to take the second set 6-1.
Senior Josh Cohen (Weston, Fla./Laurel Springs), the winningest Hurricane in men’s tennis history, picked up his 170th career win with a 7-5, 6-2 victory over Georgia Tech’s Eric Molnar in the No. 3 spot to push Miami’s lead to two at 3-1, with three matches remaining.
After clinching the doubles point for the `Canes, freshmen J.C. Whitner (Bradenton, Fla./Pendleton) and Hector Nieto (Key Biscayne, Fla./Coral Gables) did not fare as well in singles competition, both falling in straight sets, as the Yellow Jackets managed to tie the match at 3-all.
Accustomed to the pressure of playing in a game-deciding match, Vallverdu confidently picked up Miami’s fourth point, sending the Hurricanes into the second round of ACC Tournament play.
“I’m so proud of our guys today,” said Miami head coach Mario Rincon. “With Georgia Tech having their No. 1 player back, they are a much more solid team than we faced earlier this season.
“I’m so proud of Danny clinching another match for us. He is such a competitor and loves being in that situation when the match is on the line.
“And I’m also quite pleased for Josh, as he has become the winningest player in Miami history. With so many great players having played at UM, it is an impressive accomplishment. Josh is a player that has given 100% in every single practice and in every single match from the first time I saw him hit a ball.”
On Friday, Miami will square off versus top-seeded and second-ranked Virginia (23-3), who comes into competition rested after a first-round bye. The Cavaliers have been somewhat of an Achilles Heel for the `Canes as of late, as Virginia has knocked Miami out of postseason play three times in the last two seasons – twice in the ACC Tournament (2005, 06) and once in the NCAA Tournament (2006).
Exclusive coverage of the ACC Men’s Tennis Championships will be available to fans on ACCSelect.com. Friday’s Second Round coverage will consist of a live same-day recap beginning at 6 p.m., while live coverage will be provided for Saturday’s semifinals (10 a.m., 1 p.m.) and Sunday’s championship match (11 a.m.). The events will also be available on an on-demand replay basis. Fans can access the online footage with an All Event Pass ($9.99/month) or on a per-event basis ($3.99/event).
#8/35 Miami 4, #9/45 Georgia Tech 3 (ACC Seed/National Ranking)
Singles
1. No. 20 Luigi D’Agord (UM) def. No. 28 David North (GT), 6-2, 6-1
2. No. 50 Daniel Vallverdu (UM) def. Jose Muguruza (GT), 6-1, 6-7 (5), 6-4
3. Josh Cohen (UM) def. Eric Molnar (GT), 7-5, 6-2
4. Jordan Delass (GT) def. Vivek Subramanian (UM) 6-3, 1-6, Ret.
5. Scott Blackmon (GT) def. J.C. Whitner (UM), 4-6, 7-5, 6-0
6. Zachary Rath (GT) def. Hector Nieto (UM), 6-4, 6-4
Order of Finish: 1, 4, 3, 6, 5, 2*
Doubles
1. No. 3 Cohen/ D’Agord (UM) vs. Muguruza/North (GT), DNF
2. Subramanian/ Vallverdu (UM) def. Molnar/Delass (GT), 8-5
3. Nieto/Whitner (UM) def. Blackmon/Rath (GT), 8-4
Order of Finish: 2, 3*
