Seventh-Seeded Hurricanes Open ACC Championship Play Thursday
April 14, 2008
<?xml:namespace prefix=”st1″ ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags”?>ACC Championships Bracket (PDF)
Coral Gables, Fla…The seventh-seeded University of Miami men’s tennis team opens ACC Championship play on Thurs., Apr. 17, at noon versus 10th-seeded Maryland at SanlandoPark in Altamonte Springs, Fla. In its 55th annual championship, it marks the first time the ACC will hold the event in the SunshineState.<?xml:namespace prefix=”o” ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office”?>
Regular-season champions Virginia, as well as North Carolina, WakeForest and FloridaState earned first-round byes and advance directly to Friday’s quarterfinals. The winner of the Miami-Maryland match will face the second-seeded Tar Heels on Fri., Apr. 18, at noon. If the Hurricanes advance, it would mark the first meeting between Miami and North Carolina this season, as their March 23 match in Coral Gables was rained out.
The Hurricanes (13-6, 6-4 ACC) ride a four-match win streak into Thursday’s opening-round meeting with the Terrapins (10-10, 2-9). The teams just met on Sunday in College Park, with Miami emerging with the 5-2 victory. The Hurricanes lead the all-time series versus the Terps, 5-0, although this will be their first meeting in postseason play.
All-American junior Daniel Vallverdu, ranked No. 5 in the nation in singles play and No. 35 in doubles play with freshman Carl Sundberg, continues to lead the Hurricane squad playing out of the top flight. A winner in three of his last four singles matches, Vallverdu takes a 24-7 record into the postseason, including a 7-3 mark in ACC play and 12 wins over ranked opponents. In doubles play, Vallverdu and Sundberg have won five straight at the No. 1 position and are 20-4 for the year, including a 14-4 record in dual matches and a 5-1 mark versus ranked opponents.
Miami has advanced to the quarterfinals in all three previous years as ACC members, including last season when they knocked off Georgia Tech, 4-3, in the first round before bowing out in the quarterfinals to then-No. 2 Virginia.
Thurs., Apr. 17 (No. indicates tournament seed)
No. 9 Georgia Tech vs. No. 8 NC State – 9 a.m.
No. 12 Clemson vs. No. 5 Virginia Tech – Noon
No. 10 Maryland vs. No. 7 Miami – Noon
No. 11 BostonCollege vs. No. 6 Duke – 3 p.m.
Fri., Apr. 18
No. 1 Virginia vs. No. 8/9 Winner – 9 a.m.
No. 4 WakeForest vs. No. 5/12 Winner – Noon
No. 2 North Carolina vs. No. 7/10 Winner – Noon
No. 3 FloridaState vs. No. 6/11 Winner – 3 p.m.
Sat., Apr. 19
Semifinal 1 – 10 a.m.
Semifinal 2 – 1 p.m.
Sun., Apr. 20
Championship – 11 a.m.
