W&M Men's Tennis Defeats South Alabama, 4-2

Tribe Wins in First Round of Blue-Gray Classic

03/13/03

MONTGOMERY, AL - William and Mary’s 52nd-ranked men’s tennis upset No. 43 South Alabama, 4-2, today in the first round of the Blue-Gray Classic. The win improves the Tribe’s record to 9-5, while the Jaguars drop to 8-5. In W&M’s fifth consecutive year competing in the Blue-Gray, it is the first time the Tribe opened the 16-team tournament with a win.

For the 12th time this season the College began the match by claiming the doubles point, winning at No. 2 and No. 3. Junior Geoff Russell (Phoenix, AZ) and sophomore Alex Fish (Scituate, MA) breezed past Pavel Mazaev and Jorgen Vestli, 8-1, in the second match. Sophomores Jeff Kader (Geneva, OH) and Zack Malmgren (Cibalo, TX) won their sixth-straight match, defeating Aurelio Di Zazzo/Evan Fowler, 8-5, at No. 3.

W&M won three of the five singles matches that were completed, with the sixth suspended after the team match had been decided. Sophomore Sean Kelleher (Forty Fort, PA) won in straight sets at No. 3 over Di Zazzo, 6-4, 6-3. At No. 5, Tribe rookie Stephen Ward (Douglaston, NY) won his ninth-straight singles contest and improved to 12-2 overall in dual matches, defeating Vestli, 7-6, 6-0. Russell clinched the Tribe victory with a three-set win at No. 4 over David Nylen, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.

“This is a great win for us over a traditionally strong South Alabama team,” said W&M coach Peter Daub. “Hopefully this is the jump-start that we need to continue to get the confidence to compete on the way to the NCAA Tournament.”

The Tribe will return to action tomorrow at 11:00 AM in the Blue-Gray Classic with a quarterfinal match against either No. 27 Tulane or No. 68 Boise State.

#52 William and Mary 4, #43 South Alabama 2
Singles
1. Heinrich Heyl (USA) d. Alex Fish; 6-1, 6-2
2. Clinton Jacobs (USA) d. Jeff Kader; 6-4, 4-6, 6-4
3. Sean Kelleher (W&M) d. Aurelio Di Zazzo; 6-4, 6-3
4. Geoff Russell (W&M) d. David Nylen; 6-4, 3-6, 6-4
5. Stephen Ward (W&M) d. Jorgen Vestli; 7-6, 6-0
6. Did not finish

Doubles
1. Heyl/Jacobs (USA) d. Kelleher/Ward; 8-2
2. Fish/Russell (W&M) d. Pavel Mazaev/Vestli; 8-1
3. Kader/Zack Malmgren (W&M) d. Di Zazzo/Evan Fowler; 8-5