BALTIMORE — LSU’s Ajay Ramaswami split a pair of singles matches at the T. Rowe Price ITA National Clay Court Championships on Thursday at the Suburban Club in Baltimore, Md.
Ramaswami, a senior, lost his opening match of the ITA Grand Slam tournament to a No. 9-16 seed, Andy Leber of Texas-Arlington, in three sets, 6-4, 0-6, 7-6 (3). Leber, ranked 29th in the Wingspan.com ITA preseason poll, then fell in the second round of the tournament to Stefan Suter of Pepperdine in straight sets, 7-6 (5), 6-2.
Ramaswami moved to the consolation bracket where he disposed of South Alabama’s Christoph Thall, 6-3, 6-3, to advance to Friday’s second round of the bracket. He will face the tournament’s seventh-seed and 16th-ranked, Andres Pedroso of Duke, who was upset the first round of the main draw by unseeded Mark Legris of New Mexico State, 6-4, 7-6 (6).
Pedroso and Ramaswami will square of at approximately 9 a.m. (CT) on Friday. The loser will be eliminated from the consolation bracket while the winner will advance to the quarterfinals.
The T. Rowe Price ITA National Clay Court Championships is the first leg of the ITA Grand Slam. Play continues through Sunday.