PROVO, Utah (Oct.1, 2005) -- BYU's men's tennis squad will send four of its teammates to Tulsa, Okla., to compete in the Polo Ralph Lauren All-American Tennis Championships beginning Monday. Qualifying for the event was based on singles and doubles records from last season.
The Cougars selected to play in Tulsa will be participating in both the singles and doubles events. Nima Roshan and Dominik Kaufhold will represent BYU in the singles qualifiers. This will mark Kaufhold's first trip to the All-American tournament in his collegiate career. It's the second trip for Roshan, but the first time he's qualified to play since the tournament changed its format. Previously, pre-qualifying rounds were played, allowing more athletes to be chosen to play in the tournament. Now the draw size is limited, making it an even bigger accomplishment for those who are invited to compete.
"It's obviously an honor to be selected and I'm grateful I've been selected," Roshan said. "Going to the All-American is a good opportunity for me, and the rest of the guys as well."
Roshan will also compete in the doubles draw with his doubles partner Jose Lechuga. The two didn't compete in the championships last year, but this year they expect to qualify for the main draw, play well, and start the season with a national ranking.
The other doubles team representing BYU features Kaufhold and James Ludlow. This will be the first trip to the All-American Championships for both of them and they feel they can advance far into the tournament. The competition doesn't end until Oct. 9, and Kaufhold and Ludlow said they plan on being there for most of it.
"Our goal is to qualify for the main draw and play well," Kaufhold said. "We don't want to get back to Provo for a while."
BYU coach Brad Pearce said he's excited for the guys who get to play in the tournament and for what their presence there will do for BYU tennis. Having players in the All-American Championships lets them play against the best, see how they measure up, and, if they perform well, start the season with a great ranking.
"This is the biggest individual tournament of the year outside of the NCAA tournament," Pearce said. "We're trying to become a tennis powerhouse and any time our guys are successful it helps in that effort."
The University of Tulsa will host the Polo Ralph Lauren All-American Tennis Championships at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center. Qualifying takes place Oct. 3-5 and the Main Draw will be played Oct.6-9.