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10/7/2009 - MEN'S TENNIS
Upstate Pair Reach Qualifying Finals At D'Novo/ITAs
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TULSA, Okla. - With the tiebreaker tied at five, senior Javier Tori served up two points to secure a dramatic 9-8 (5) win over the New Mexico State duo of Jim Brouleau and Arthur Surreaux in the qualifying doubles semifinals with senior partner Jack Roux at the D'Novo/ITA All-American Championships at the University of Tulsa's Michael D. Case Tennis Center on Tuesday evening.
"I was nervous," Roux said. "I think they played very well, but I think we did, too. When we started to play the tiebreak, I thought I can't lose a tiebreak again, because I lost in the singles tiebreaker (in the pre-qualifying round), 10-8."
The seniors will now move on to face the No. 9 seed in the qualifying bracket, Arkansas' Dmitry Lebedev and Chris Nott, at 2 p.m. on Wednesday at the Case Tennis Center for the right to earn one of the eight open slots in the 32-team main draw, which will begin play on Thursday.
"We basically are the underdogs so we are going to relax and just enjoy what we are doing," Tori said of the match against the 43rd-ranked Lebedev and Nott. "That is basically all we are going to do."
Roux and Tori cruised through their first-round match, beating Tulsa's Patrick Collins and Alastair Barnes, 8-2, in the afternoon to set up their evening showdown against Brouleau and Surreaux.
