STONE MOUNTAIN, Ga. — LSU’s 57th-ranked senior Ajay Ramaswami will begin competition Thursday in the main draw of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s Men’s All-American Championships here in Stone Mountain, Ga.
“This is a great opportunity for Ajay to continue the strong play that he has shown so far this fall,” said head coach Jeff Brown. “This tournament consists of the best players in the nation, and Ajay has a good chance to win some matches and continue to move up in the rankings.”
The ITA Men’s All-American Championships is the nation’s largest collegiate tennis tournament and includes over 300 participants. It is the second leg of the 2000-01 ITA Grand Slam, along with the T. Rowe Price National Clay Court Championships, the Rolex National Indoor Championships, and the NCAA Championships.
Earlier this fall at the T. Rowe Price National Clay Court Championships, Ramaswami defeated five-ranked opponents en route to winning the consolation-bracket final over 17th-ranked Jason Marshall of Purdue, 7-5, 6-3.
Ramaswami, who is originally from Mumbai, India, has accumulated a 9-2 record this fall including a stretch in which he won five straight matches. He finished last season with a 28-12 overall record and a 19-4 mark in Southeastern Conference play.
The main draw of the ITA All-American Championships will consist of 64 singles players, including 16 of the nation’s top 20. Third-ranked Brian Vahaly of Virginia is the highest-ranked singles player in the event and will be the tournament’s top-seed.
LSU’s 57th-ranked Ramaswami will begin play in the ITA All-American Championships on Thursday morning. Ramaswami will face Texas A&M’s 59th-ranked Cody Hubbell in the first round at 8 a.m. Should he advance to the second round, he will face the winner of 11th-seeded Andres Pedroso of Duke and 91st-ranked Oliver Levant of Florida on at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday.
Ramaswami upset the 16th-ranked Pedroso at the T. Rowe Price National Claycourts in September.