University of North Carolina Athletics
Tar Heels Look To Compete With Nation's Best In 2000
February 14, 2000 | Men's Tennis
Feb. 14, 2000
By Dave Lohse
Director of Media Relations for Olympic Sports
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - The University of North Carolina men's tennis team enters the 2000 season ranked #51 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association national rankings. While that may be a fair assessment based on UNC's lackluster 11-14 record in 1999, Carolina's first losing campaign in 13 years, it is highly doubtful the Heels will be that low nationally when the 2000 season ends.
With a greatly improved lineup and an infusion of new talent, Carolina should be competitive with virtually any team in the nation in 2000. As the 2000 season approaches, it is possible that three new faces could be featured in the Carolina singles lineup.
Carolina's returning cast is solid indeed. Senior tri-captains Tripp Phillips (Charlotte, N.C.), Assaf Drori (Jerusalem, Israel) and Aron Breziner (North Miami Beach, Fla.) lead it. Phillips had a shoulder injury, which sidelined him during the entirety of the 1999 season. His return to the lineup at the #1 spot will be the major key to UNC's potential success in 2000. "Tripp is the kind of player, who can certainly compete with anyone else in the nation," says UNC head coach Sam Paul, who has been the Tar Heels' helm since 1993. "Of course, we don't expect Tripp to win every match, but there will be few times when he will not have a chance to beat his opponent."
Drori and Breziner were both mainstays in Carolina's singles lineup last year as well. Drori played primarily as the #2 singles position and he finished the season with a 17-10 singles mark, including a 16-5 record against ITA Region II opponents. He earned first-team All Atlantic Coast Conference honors in the process. Breziner held down the #4 spot in the singles lineup and posted a respectable 13-16 record against tough opposition.
Juniors David Cheatwood (Fayetteville, N.C.) and Chad Riley (Sugar Land, Texas) were also regulars in the Carolina singles lineup last year. Cheatwood improved immensely from his freshman year and posted a winning record on the season (17-16), playing most of the year at the #3 singles position. Riley, in his first year after transferring from TCU, was a very welcome surprise who stepped in at the #6 spot and recorded a .500 record overall at 13-13.
Other returning lettermen are sophomore Ben Elix of West Beach, South Australia (7-6 last year) and senior Ahad Athar (Mount Airy, N.C.).
Paul has brought in a big class of newcomers who should bolster the Tar Heels' cause significantly. Sophomore Marcio Petrone played his freshman year at Florida International University. He is expected to earn a starting spot somewhere in the middle of Carolina's singles lineup. Petrone, a native of Bairro, Meireles, Brazil, will likely be joined as a starter by freshman Trystan Meniane of Martinique, France, a gifted newcomer with tremendous court savvy. Freshman Greg Archer of Beachwood, N.J. is another outstanding prospect and it will be hard to keep the tall, lanky frosh out of the lineup. Carolina's other freshmen are Tyne Brownlow of Memphis, Tenn. And Max Hilkey of Chapel Hill, N.C.
"With five new players joining the program, Tripp's return from injury and four of six singles starters back from last year, our challenge matches this year should be very interesting," says Paul. "Three of the newcomers are capable of starting in our lineup. That gives us the most depth of any year I have been here as the head coach. We have nine or 10 guys who will be competing hard to earn one of those six spots in the lineup. With that kind of intrasquad competition, it is hard to imagine us not being improved over last season."
As per usual, Carolina will face the best that college tennis has to offer during the coming season. Paul has always insured that Carolina's schedule will be tough and this year will be no exception. UNC's schedule features #3 Duke, #10 Virginia Commonwealth, #15 South Carolina, #17 Texas A&M, #20 Texas, #22 Virginia, #26 Clemson, #38 Notre Dame, #48 Florida State, #50 Wake Forest, #61 Georgia Tech, #66 Purdue and #69 N.C. State. "You only get better as a team by playing good opposition," says Paul. "I believe last year that I may have overscheduled the team. We were too young to play the kind of schedule I set up. But this is a more experienced team and we have to challenge them early with teams like Texas, Texas A&M and South Carolina. Those matches will get us ready for the ACC season.
"I know that none of us is interested in finishing fifth in the ACC again so we will put a lot of emphasis on our eight matches against league foes. Our road matches in the ACC will not be easy with us playing at Duke, Virginia and Florida State so we must play well at home in the league."
Players Mentioned
