Miami Opens NCAA Championship Action against Arizona State

FORT WORTH, Teas – Securing the program’s second straight NCAA Team Championship bid for the first time since 2009, the University of Miami men’s tennis team will open tournament action Friday afternoon.

No. 33 Miami (17-10, 7-5 ACC), which will compete at the national stage for the 28th time in program history, will face No. 27 Arizona State at 3 p.m. ET in Fort Worth, Texas. Live streaming at the Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center will be made accessible HERE, while live stats will be available HERE.

The winner of Friday’s match moves on to the second round of the NCAA Championship to take on the winner between ninth-ranked TCU and No. 41 Harvard.

In a series that dates back to 1990, the Hurricanes and Sun Devils played five matches in a four-year stretch, as Miami enters Friday’s contest holding a 4-1 advantage in the overall series. However, this year’s match will mark the first meeting between the two programs since Jan. 29, 1993.

Entering the tournament, a pair of sophomores represent Miami in the ITA national singles rankings, as Adria Soriano Barrera comes in at No. 33 and Bojan Jankulovski at No. 87.

The Hurricanes are 16-27 all-time at the NCAA Championship and are seeking their first Round of 16 appearance since 2009, when Miami topped No. 10 Florida, 4-3, in second-round action.

Arizona State (13-13, 4-4 P12) is represented by No. 99 Nathan Ponwith in the singles rankings. In doubles, Ponwith teams up with Dominik Kellovsky as the nation’s No. 17 duo, while Baonoromandresy Rakotomalala and Justin Roberts form the No. 80 tandem.

To keep up with the University of Miami men’s tennis team on social media, follow @CanesMensTennis on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.