May 4, 2011
LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - UNLV senior standout Mehdi Bouras is going to compete in his first NCAA Tennis Championships later this month as he earned an automatic bid into the singles field as well as the doubles draw along with partner Bernard Schoeman.
On Wednesday, the NCAA released its selections for the 64 singles players and 32 doubles teams that will compete in the 2011 NCAA Division I Men's Tennis Championships. The singles and doubles competition will be conducted May 25-30 at the Taube Tennis Center in Stanford, Calif., following the conclusion of the team championship on May 24. Stanford University will serve as host.
As the league's highest ranked singles player, currently at 72, Bouras earned the automatic bid from the Mountain West Conference. He and Schoeman, who are ranked 43rd, took the league's doubles bid as well. Bouras, who last month was named the MWC Player of the Year, is 22-11 in singles playing at the top spot in the lineup. He and Schoeman are 13-8 overall in doubles and boast three wins over top-20 opponents this spring.
Bouras is the first Rebel men's player to earn a spot in the NCAA singles field since Elliot Wronski in 2007 and he and Schoeman comprise the first doubles tandem to reach the national tournament since Nenad Zivkovic and Gregor Skorin went in 1999.
The tournament draws will be released just prior to the tournament.
"I think it's well-deserved that Mehdi got into the tournament and I know he's excited about it," said head coach Owen Hambrook. "He was the only senior on the youngest team in the conference and came through big-time this season. We're also excited to have our first men's doubles team go in a dozen years. We're all looking forward to the trip."
All-time, eight Rebels have competed at the final event of the college season with some spectacular results. Luke Smith went to two tournaments and, as a senior in 1997, rolled through the field to win the school's first tennis national championship. He then teamed with Tim Blenkiron a few hours later to win the doubles title as well.
Two-time All-American Roger Pettersson holds the school record of qualifying for the most such tournaments with three (1994-96). Overall, UNLV men boast a 13-11 record all-time in singles play. Below is the complete list of Rebels and their records at the NCAA Singles Championship.
UNLV IN THE NCAA MEN'S TENNIS SINGLES CHAMPIONSHIPPLAYER YEAR(S) RECORDElliot Wronski 2007 1-1Henner Nehles 2004, `05 Withdrew, 1-1Thomas Schneiter 2002 2-1Nenad Zivkovic 2001 WithdrewAsaf Tishler 1998, '99 0-2Luke Smith 1996, '97 6-1Roger Pettersson 1994, '95, '96 0-3Scott Warner 1986, '87 3-2TOTAL 14 13-11
