TULSA, Okla. — Junior Michael Venus of the 18th-ranked LSU men’s tennis team is set to compete in the NCAA Singles Tournament Wednesday at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center.
Venus, who is currently ranked No. 26 in the nation, will battle host Tulsa’s No. 1 player and 18th-ranked Arnau Brugues in the first round (round of 64) at 10 a.m. CT. The two competitors have never faced each other.
Venus will also take part in the doubles tournament with partner James Cluskey beginning Thursday. The Tiger tandem is ranked No. 16 and will square off with the 11th-ranked pair of Billy Heiser and Ryan Rowe of Illinois for the second straight time. Cluskey and Venus defeated the Illinois pair, 8-3, in LSU’s season-ending loss in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The time for their match will be determined after Wednesday’s competition is complete.
“Michael has been working extremely hard this season and is one of the hardest workers in the tournament field,” LSU head coach Jeff Brown said. “We expect him to come out and be relaxed because he has put himself in position to play well and we expect him to be ready to go against a hometown guy.”
Venus began his LSU career in January and has notched 14 singles victories while playing among the top two spots. The first-team All-SEC selection has captured eight wins against ranked opponents, including three in the top-30. His biggest win was when he defeated Florida’s third-ranked Greg Ouellette in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4.
Brugues, a three-time Conference USA Player of the Year, has posted a 20-8 singles record this season, including 11 victories over ranked opponents. Brugues won the Polo All-American National Championship in the fall of 2006 on Tulsa’s courts
This is Brugues’ third appearance at the NCAA Singles Championship. The two-time All-American reached the round of 16 in 2006 and the quarterfinals last year before losing to eventual national champion Somdev Devvarman of Virginia.
NCAA Individual Tournament
May 21-26, 2008 at Tulsa, Okla. (Michael D. Case Tennis Center)
Wednesday, May 21
First Round ? Round of 64
#26 Michael Venus (LSU) vs. #18 Arnau Brugues (TULSA), 10 a.m. CT
Thursday, May 22
Doubles
First Round – Round of 32
#16 James Cluskey/Michael Venus (LSU) vs. #11 Billy Heiser/Ryan Rowe (ILL) TBD