NCAA Tennis Championships site
TULSA, Okla. -
Two Maryland men's tennis players etched their names in the school's record book last month when they were chosen to compete in this year's NCAA Championships. Now that duo has its sites set on a national title.
Boris Fetbroyt and Andrew Orban are among 32 twosomes competing for an NCAA doubles crown this week at the Case Tennis Center on the campus of the University of Tulsa.
The pair of juniors was one of 19 duos to receive an at-large selection last month. They are seeded between Nos. 5 and 8 in the competition, which guarantees them All-America status.
The last Maryland men's tennis player to earn All-America honors was John Lucas in 1976. No doubles team in school history has reached All-America status (one of top eight seeds in the NCAA Championships).
Fetbroyt, a native of Cherry Hill, N.J., and Orban, who hails from Fayetteville, N.C., are also the first Terrapins to reach the NCAA Championships in over 20 years. John Zahurak made the singles draw in 1986.
Fetbroyt and Orban, ranked No. 8 nationally in the final regular-season Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) rankings, begin their quest Thursday when they face off in the round of 32 against Austen Childs and Simon Childs of Louisville. Start times for doubles matches will be announced Wednesday.
"We got a decent draw, but there are no easy matches when you get to this level," Maryland coach Jim Laitta said after Tuesday's practice at the Case Center.
The Terps are familiar with their first-round opponent as Fetbroyt and Orban downed the Louisville duo, 8-6, in March, helping the Terps upset the No. 43-ranked Cardinals, 4-3.
Should the Terps advance out of the first round, they will face the winner of the Tulsa (Andy Connelly/Ross Cunnington) and North Carolina State (Nick Cavaday/Jay Weinacker) match on Friday in the round of 16.
Doubles play continues through Sunday. All matches shall be best-of-three sets. Regular scoring and a 12-point tiebreaker at six games all will also be used.
Fetbroyt and Orban were solid throughout the season, posting a doubles record of 15-3, including a 12-2 mark at the No. 1 position. They went 4-2 against nationally-ranked opponents and were also 4-2 in the Atlantic Coast Conference which has five of the top eight seeds in the tournament.
Somdev Devvarman and Treat Huey of Virginia are the No. 1 seed and Carl Sundberg and Daniel Vallverdu of Miami are No. 3, while Steve Forman and Cody Parr of Wake Forest and Taylor Fogleman and Chris Kearney of North Carolina are seeded Nos. 5 through No. 8.
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