NCAA Tournament Tuesdays: 1999 Men's Tennis
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1999 Men’s Tennis The 1998-1999 season was head coach Jay Berger’s first in the dual role of head men’s and women’s coach. During the season, the Hurricanes maintained a 10-12 record and finished second in the BIG EAST Championship behind Bobby Bayliss and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Following the regular season, the Canes made an appearance in the NCAA Tournament. This would be the third consecutive trip to the NCAA postseason and 17th overall since 1977 for the 1999 men’s team. Unfortunately, the team’s promising season ended with a loss. The Canes were defeated in the first round of the NCAA Tournament by No. 9 Florida Gators 4-0. Despite the disappointing end of the season, leaders emerged from the Hurricane line-up. Freshman Jose Lieberman led the Canes with a 21-win season in singles and a 13-win season in doubles. Freshman Jamin Thompson completed an impressive 17-win season along with sophomore Johan Lindqvist, who achieved a 16-win season. With the guidance of the outstanding coaching staff, headed by Jay Berger, it’s no surprise that the Hurricanes saw many victories during the 1999 season. |
Jay Berger was an All- American at Clemson University with a 91-22 singles record. After the 1986 season, Berger joined the professional ranks. Highlights of his career include reaching the quarterfinals of both the French Open and U.S. Open, and becoming No. 7 in the world in men’s singles. After knee injuries forced him to retire in 1992, Berger turned to coaching and coached the University of Miami men’s tennis team for five seasons from 1998-2002. During the 1999 season, Berger coached the Hurricanes to a 10-13 record and a berth in the NCAA Tournament. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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