ITA All-American Home

ARLINGTON - The UT Arlington men's tennis team heads north to Tulsa, Okla. for the 2018 Stain Francis Health System ITA All-American Championships, beginning with the the qualifying rounds on Saturday. 

The tournament, running through Oct. 8, is a single-elimination and consolation bracket tournament that will help fill slots for the 2018 ITA National Fall Championships in November and is hosted by the University of Tulsa at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center. 

"The All-American tournament is a prestigious event for our team to take part in that will put us against some of the best competition that there is to offer around the country," UTA coach Diego Benitez said. "We have been fortunate to have our team be a part of it and it is a great opportunity for our players to improve on their ranking ahead of the ITA regional tournaments later this fall."

It will be a full contingent of Maverick men making the trip this season. Senior Guanarteme Nuez will lead a group after he competed at the ITA Master's tournament in Malibu, Calif. last weekend, and will look to improve on his Round of 16 appearance. Nuez is fourth in line on the alternate list to advance into the main draw, otherwise, he will join his teammates in the qualifying rounds that begin on Saturday. 

In addition to vying for the All-American national title, players will be competing to secure a berth into the 2018 Oracle ITA National Fall Championships, which takes place November 7-11, in Surprise, Arizona. Singles quarterfinalists, consolation singles champion and finalist, along with doubles semifinalists and consolation doubles champion and finalist advance to the end of fall national championship.

Notable past winners of the Saint Francis ITA Men's All-American Singles Championship include: John Isner (Georgia, 2005); James Blake (Harvard, 1998); Bob Bryan (Stanford, 1997) and MaliVai Washington (Michigan, 1988). Al Parker (Georgia, 1989-90) is the only back-to-back singles champion in Saint Francis ITA Men's All-American Championship history.