ATHENS, Ga. — LSU’s 57th-ranked men’s tennis player, Ajay Ramaswami, advanced to the quarterfinal round of the ITA Region Three Championships on Friday by winning both of his singles matches in straight sets.
In his third-round match, Ramaswami was one-game short of keeping Georgia’s Bo Hodge off of the scoreboard with a 6-0, 6-1 trouncing of the freshman Bulldog at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex here in Athens, Ga.
Ramaswami then moved on to face Mississippi State’s Romain Ambert in the fourth round of the singles competition. Ambert proved to be stiff competition, but in the end Ramaswami was victorious with a 6-3, 7-5 win.
The Tiger senior improved his fall record to 14-3 and is set to face Florida’s 78th-ranked Nathan Overholser in the quarterfinal round on Saturday.
LSU’s Jesse Smatt defeated No. 81 Daniel Klemetz of Middle Tennessee State, 7-6(6), 6-1, in the third round of singles play, but was then beaten by Tennessee’s 20th-ranked Adam Carey, 6-3, 6-2, to foil the Tigers’ quest to reach the quarterfinals.
The ITA Region Three Championships will resume Saturday morning here on the campus of the University of Georgia.
ITA Region III Championships
Nov. 2-5, 2000
Dan Magill Tennis Center
Athens, Ga.
Singles Third Round
(11) #57 Ajay Ramaswami (LSU) def. Bo Hodge (Georgia), 6-0, 6-1
Jesse Smatt (LSU) def. #81 Daniel Klemetz (Middle Tennessee St.), 7-6 (6), 6-1
Singles Fourth Round
Ajay Ramaswami (LSU) def. Romain Ambert (Miss. St.), 6-3, 7-5
(4) #20 Adam Carey (Tenn) def. Jesse Smatt (LSU), 6-3, 6-2
Doubles Second Round
Baudat/Raynal (So. Alabama) def. (4) #26 Kiernan/Rutka (LSU), 8-3
Behrman/Wurtzman (Florida) def. #41 (6)Ramaswami/Smatt (LSU) 9-8 (4)