Clemson Men’s Tennis to Play Host to Miami on Saturday

April 9, 2004

Clemson, SC — The 66th-ranked Clemson Men’s Tennis team will play host to future Atlantic Coast Conference rival Miami on Saturday at noon at Hoke Sloan Tennis Center. The match will mark the regular season finale for the Tigers as they prepare for the ACC Championships next weekend. Miami leads the all-time series with a record of 21-19, including a 5-2 victory last season in Miami.

Already, the Tigers have reached the 20 win mark as they enter the match with an overall record of 20-10, and are currently riding a four match winning streak, including three straight in the ACC. With its recent ACC wins, Clemson evens its league record at 4-4. The Tigers have won its last three matches, all in the ACC, by 4-3 margins. Clemson has competed in nine matches this season that have ended in a 4-3 score. The Tigers own a 5-4 record in these matches, including wins over No. 72 UC-Irvine, No. 29 Florida State, and No. 37 Wake Forest.

Much of Clemson’s success this season has come from performances in clutch singles play. Clemson currently boasts six players with double digit wins in dual match singles play, and four players with 16 wins or more. Leading the way are senior Ryan Young, each with 18 victories. Young has currently won four straight matches, and seven of his last ten.

Young, a freshman from Charleston, SC, has also contributed in doubles action. Over the course of the season, he has teamed up with Goran Sterijovski, Brett Twente to compile a total doubles record of 20-6 this season. Also making news in doubles play are Nathan Thompson and Jarmaine Jenkins, who are currently ranked 32nd in the nation according to the latest poll released by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. Clemson has won the doubles point in 20 of its matches, and own a 16-4 record in matches when it takes the doubles point.

Miami enters the match with an 11-5 record overall and are ranked 40th in the nation in the latest ITA poll.. The Hurricanes, who join the ACC next season, has a 0-3 record against current ACC teams. Last weekend, Miami lost 6-1 decisions to Wake Forest and Duke. The Hurricanes are led by Josh Cohen with an 11-2 record in dual matches at the number one position and Eric Hechtman who is 12-4 overall and holds a No. 120 ranking in singles action. Miami will travel to Atlanta to face another future conference opponent Georgia Tech on Sunday at noon.

Clemson is under the leadership of head coach Chuck Kriese in his 29th season. Kriese holds a 585-366 record, and is ranked as the sixth-winningest active coach in NCAA Division I. The two-time National Coach-of-the-Year has led the Tigers to 20 NCAA Tournament appearances.