University of North Carolina Athletics
Updating Carolina Alumni on the Professional Circuit
June 13, 2007 | Men's Tennis
June 13, 2007
Former UNC tennis alumni Nick Monroe, Raian Luchici, Brad Pomeroy and Assistant Coach Tripp Phillips have experienced great success on the professional tennis circuit this spring, continuing UNC's tradition of success on the ATP Tour.
Current assistant coach Tripp Phillips recently teamed with Scott Lipski and posted a win over the 3rd ranked doubles player in the world Max Mirnyi and his partner Vladimir Voltchkov at the ATP event in Estoril, Portugal. Phillips and Ashley Fisher were seeded 14th at the French Open last week in Paris, Phillips and Fisher lost a tight match 7-5, 6-2 to the Czech team of David Skoch and Leos Friedl. Phillips is now getting ready for the grass court season and will be playing in Queen's and Nottingham to prepare for Wimbledon which begins June 25.
After making the second round of qualifying at the Australian Open in January, Nicholas Monroe continues to play well on the ATP Futures circuit. During a four week trip to Japan to play futures events, Nick made the quarterfinals, semifinals, and two final appearances in singles play.
"It was great to feel like I was putting myself in a position each week to have a chance to win the tournament," Monroe said.
Monroe would take his singles success one step further in Mexico. During a three week span in May, Monroe captured two singles titles. The first came in Cordoba, where Monroe knocked off number one seed Miguel Gallardo in the finals 7-6 (7), 6-4. Two weeks later he crushed fifth seeded Victor Romero 6-0, 6-2 to take the futures title in Celaya, Mexico. He also teamed with former UNC All American Brad Pomeroy to make the finals of the event in Guadalajara.
Pomeroy, a native of Asheville, North Carolina, is starting his second full year on tour after earning All-America status in doubles last spring. Pomeroy made the semifinals once and the finals twice playing Futures events in Mexico. Pomeroy has already climbed nearly 900 places in the rankings to #774.
Raian Luchici, the 2005-2006 Senior National Player of the Year, has just begun his professional career after earning his degree in December. Luchici has qualified in singles in three of his first four singles events, posting a 12-3 singles record. He qualified each week advancing to the second round twice and the quarterfinals once. In doubles, Luchici has reached two finals, one semifinal, and one quarterfinal.
All three former Tar Heels are continuing the Carolina tradition of sending student-athletes to the professional level. Training under Head Coach Sam Paul, former Wimbledon champion, Don Johnson and current Assistant Coach Tripp Phillips, the Tar Heels have established a pipeline of former players in the professional ranks.
Players Mentioned
