Athens, Ga. – University of Florida men’s tennis freshman Jesse Levine continued his run in the NCAA singles championship draw as he advanced to the quarterfinal round before pairing with junior Greg Ouellette to make it to the same stage of the doubles draw on Friday at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex in Athens, Ga.
Levine (No. 3) started the day with a 6-1, 6-3 showing against Georgia’s 14th-ranked Luis Flores. With his win, Levine is 24-0 on the season with
22 coming in straight sets including each of the last 14 as the Gator newcomer has yet to drop a set at the event. In today’s match against Flores, Levine fell behind 3-1 in the second set before reeling of wins in five straight games to advance. Washington’s Alex Slovic (64) awaits Levine in the quarterfinal round on Saturday.
Levine returned to the courts Friday evening to team with Ouellette in doubles where the two defeated LSU’s Ken Skupski and James Cluskey (21),
6-4, 6-3. With the win, the UF tandem will meet Middle Tennessee State’s Marco Born and Andreas Siljestrom (No. 6) in the quarterfinals.
Ouellette (21) was also in action on the singles courts as he was defeated by Illinois’ fifth-ranked Kevin Anderson, 6-3, 7-6 (3). Ouellette made it to the Round of 16 in the singles draw for the second time in his career having last done so as a freshman in 2005.
Florida has had two NCAA singles champions (Mark Merklein in 1994 and Jeff Morrison in 1999) and one doubles champion (Merklein and David Blair in 1993).
2007 NCAA Men’s Tennis Championships Singles and Doubles Draws
Dan Magill Tennis Complex
Athens, Ga.
Singles Round of 16
(3) Jesse Levine (Florida) def. (14) Luis Flores (Georgia), 6-1, 6-3
(5) Kevin Anderson (Illinois) def. (21) Greg Ouellette (Florida), 6-3,
7-6 (3)
Doubles Round of 16
(3) Jesse Levine-Greg Ouellette (Florida) def. (22) James Cluskey-Ken
Skupski (LSU), 6-4, 6-3