Blake Strode, a former All-American for the University of Arkansas tennis team won the championship match of the U.S. Open National Playoffs in Atlanta, 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (1), over Cecil Mamiit. Strode will receive a wild card spot in the 2010 U.S. Open Qualifying Tournament for an Aug. 24th showdown with other qualifiers at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y.
Strode won a USTA Sectional Qualifying Tournament in Arizona and advanced with 15 other regional winners to the U.S. Open Nat'l Playoffs in Atlanta. He earned his spot in the playoff field by winning the U.S. Open Nat'l Playoff SW Section in Surprise, AZ, in June at the Surprise Tennis & Racquet Complex.
The St. Louis, MO native was an All-American for the Razorbacks by advancing to the semifinals of the NCAA Individual Championship in '09 and has been accepted into Harvard Law School, but is pursuing a professional tennis career before enrolling.
3 comments:
The best tennis player of all-time for the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville is still Aurelija Miseviciute from Lithuania. She only lost one match during one season. She had maybe the all-time career win record. She played junior Wimbledon and other ITF events with a junior world ranking of 26th. She was a class act that should have gotten more press coverage, but the Arkansas Razorback press media guides flunked on the reporting of this great player! A lot of people never heard of her great accomplishments!!!
Aurelija Miseviciute was not only the best athlete other than Matt Jones, but she could have also won the Ms. Universe with her looks, too!
I was watching the Monday opening round matches at US Open and saw Vania King play Christina McHale. Being from Arkansas, the players resembled some of our own team players. At first glance I thought I was watching Christine Olsen playing Cheryl Schluterman. Did anyone else think the same thing?
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