The University of Mississippi Athletics
Tennis Players Will Compete in National Clay Courts
6/21/1999 | Women's Tennis
Sept. 21, 1998
OXFORD, Miss. - Several members of the Ole Miss men's and women's tennis teams will begin competing in the qualifying round of the T. Rowe Price National Clay Court Championships Tuesday, at the Suburban Country Club in Baltimore, Md.
The National Clay Courts is the opening leg of the 1998-99 Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Collegiate Grand Slam. The main draw takes place Sept. 24-27. The main draw will have an additional 16 players and eight doubles' teams from the qualifying round.
On the men's side, sophomore James Shortall and freshman Martin Selin, will be competing in the qualifying round of singles, while Courtenay Chapman, Mariana Eberle, Celeste Frey and Eva Doman will be competing for the Lady Rebels.
Shortall won three matches in the prequalifying round to make the qualifying tournament. In his final match on Sunday, Shortall rallied from a set down to win two tiebreakers against Jorge Sanchez of Nebraska for a 5-7, 7-6(6), 7-6(4-1, def.) victory.
Chapman participated in the main draw singles last year, while Eberle was in the qualifying. Frey, a transfer from Florida International, is making her first appearance at the National Clay Courts.
Junior Martin Sjoqvist, currently ranked No. 25 in the nation, received an automatic spot in the main draw in singles for the second year in a row. He will be joined in the main draw by Chada, ranked No. 44 in the preseason poll. Chada advanced through the qualifying round last year to the main draw, where he reached the second round.
Senior Agnes Muzamel, ranked No. 9 in the country, and junior Ivona Mihailova earned an automatic entry into the women's main draw. Muzamel reached the finals at last year's clay court championships. Mihailova is currently ranked No. 18 in the nation. Muzamel and Chapman are among the automatic selections to the main draw doubles as the two are the fourth best team in the nation in the preseason rankings.
