Oct. 5, 2011
TULSA, Okla. - Senior Roy Kalmanovich captured three victories in the qualifying rounds of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association All-American Championships, Oct. 3-5, to advance to the tournament's main draw, which will take place Oct. 6-9 in Tulsa, Okla. The Framingham, Mass., native defeated two nationally ranked opponents to join fellow senior Dennis Nevolo and junior Stephen Hoh, who each secured bids to the national tournament earlier this year.
"It was really positive to see Roy staying composed mentally and keeping things in perspective even when he wasn't playing his best tennis," Illini head coach Brad Dancer said. "When he does that, he gets better throughout the match and his game really wears on the opponent. He did a great job making subtle adjustments and stayed relaxed and true to what he was doing throughout his match, never panicking. I'm proud of him and excited for the main draw with (Dennis) Nevolo and (Stephen) Hoh as well."
Kalmanovich, No. 71 in the preseason rankings, sailed through his first qualifying match, downing Texas Christian's Nick Chappell in straight sets. The following day, the Illini senior claimed a 2-6, 6-3, 7-6(5) thriller over No. 114 Junior Ore of Texas A&M. Kalmanovich continued his success on the final day of qualifying, taking a 7-6(3), 6-2 victory over No. 58 Bob van Overbeek of Florida.
No. 7 Nevolo automatically qualified for the All-American Championships based on his current national ranking, while Hoh earned a wild card to the main draw when he captured the title at the USTA/ITA National Summer Championships on Aug. 16.
The tournament marks the first ITA national competition of the 2011-12 collegiate season. Quarterfinalists and consolation champions will earn automatic bids to the USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships, which will take place Nov. 3-6 in Flushing, N.Y.
Live scoring is available .
ITA All-American Qualifying - Illini Results
#71 Roy Kalmanovich (Illinois) def. Nick Chappell (TCU), 6-4, 6-4
#71 Roy Kalmanovich (Illinois) def. #114 Junior Ore (Texas A&M), 2-6, 6-3, 7-6(5)
#71 Roy Kalmanovich (Illinois) def. #58 Bob van Overbeek (Florida), 7-6(3), 6-2
