Monday, September 30
Tulsa, Okla.
All Day
University of San Francisco
vs
ITA All-American
Photo by: Cole Stipovich
Two Dons Set to Compete at ITA All-American Championships
9/29/2013 1:37:00 PM | Men's Tennis
TULSA, Okla. – The University of San Francisco men's tennis program is gearing up for its first opportunity to earn an Intercollegiate Tennis Association national championship crown of the 2013-14.
Two USF student-athletes, Bernardo Saraiva and Nils Skajaa, will be competing for the Dons at the ITA All-American Championships, held Aug. 28 to Oct. 5 at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center in Tulsa, Okla.
Saraiva, a junior from Lisbon, Portugal , and Skajaa, a sophomore from Odder, Denmark, were selected to compete in the qualification draw for the singles championships, with matches commencing Monday, Sept. 30.
"The players are very excited for this opportunity and have been work hard on court and off to put themselves in the best situation for potential success," Director of Tennis Peter Bartlett said. "For our program, we feel each year we have been able to create better opportunities for our players and the team to compete at the national level, and this is a good example."
Saraiva, ranked No. 109 in the ITA Preseason Poll, will meet Nelson Vick of North Carolina in his opening singles match Monday at 10 a.m., Pacific time. Saraiva enters the tournament as the sixth Don to grace the ITA Rankings in the past 10 years. Skajaa will open up against the sixth man to advance from the pre-qualification rounds, in an 11:30 a.m. (PT) match. Should the two advance, the second and third rounds of the qualifying draw are slated for Tuesday.
In addition to singles, the pair was selected for the doubles main draw of the championships, scheduled to begin Thursday. The selection of Saraiva and Skajaa to the main draw is a first for any USF men's doubles team. The duo, which started their season at the Napa Collegiate Invitational, went undefeated in its three matches, knocking off teams from UNLV, Arizona, and Idaho to begin the 2013-14 campaign.
Bartlett expects Saraia and Skajaa to use this test against top national competition as a measuring stick for both the singles and doubles season.
"One way or another, this tournament will show us where we are or where we need to be in order to win a national title."
ITA All-American Championships results and brackets
Two USF student-athletes, Bernardo Saraiva and Nils Skajaa, will be competing for the Dons at the ITA All-American Championships, held Aug. 28 to Oct. 5 at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center in Tulsa, Okla.
Saraiva, a junior from Lisbon, Portugal , and Skajaa, a sophomore from Odder, Denmark, were selected to compete in the qualification draw for the singles championships, with matches commencing Monday, Sept. 30.
"The players are very excited for this opportunity and have been work hard on court and off to put themselves in the best situation for potential success," Director of Tennis Peter Bartlett said. "For our program, we feel each year we have been able to create better opportunities for our players and the team to compete at the national level, and this is a good example."
Saraiva, ranked No. 109 in the ITA Preseason Poll, will meet Nelson Vick of North Carolina in his opening singles match Monday at 10 a.m., Pacific time. Saraiva enters the tournament as the sixth Don to grace the ITA Rankings in the past 10 years. Skajaa will open up against the sixth man to advance from the pre-qualification rounds, in an 11:30 a.m. (PT) match. Should the two advance, the second and third rounds of the qualifying draw are slated for Tuesday.
In addition to singles, the pair was selected for the doubles main draw of the championships, scheduled to begin Thursday. The selection of Saraiva and Skajaa to the main draw is a first for any USF men's doubles team. The duo, which started their season at the Napa Collegiate Invitational, went undefeated in its three matches, knocking off teams from UNLV, Arizona, and Idaho to begin the 2013-14 campaign.
Bartlett expects Saraia and Skajaa to use this test against top national competition as a measuring stick for both the singles and doubles season.
"One way or another, this tournament will show us where we are or where we need to be in order to win a national title."
ITA All-American Championships results and brackets
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BSB | USF vs. Pacific Highlights (Game 3)
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BSB | USF vs. Pacific Postgame w/ Rob DiToma, Gauge Lockhart, and Jared Lewis
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BSB | USF vs. Pacific Highlights (Game 2)
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