Mertz Loses Two Close Matches in All-American Qualifying
10/3/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
TUSCALOOSA ?? Alabama's Billy Mertz lost a pair of three-set matches in the qualifying rounds of the Polo Ralph Lauren All-American Tennis Championships.
Mertz, a junior from Silver Spring, Md., faced 17th-seeded Blake Strode of Arkansas in the opening round. Mertz took the early lead in the match with a 6-4 win in the first set but Strode came back to take the final two sets 6-2, 6-4 to advance.
The loss dropped Mertz into the consolation bracket. He squared off against Baylor's David Galic. Mertz again started strong, winning the first set 6-2. However, Galic made a comeback to even the match with a 6-4 victory in the second set. He went on to win 1-0 (10-5) in a match tie-breaker.
The Main Draw will begin on Thursday. The Crimson Tide's Joseph Jung will open with Clemson's Clement Reix in the first round.
The All-American Championships are taking place in Tulsa, Okla. at the University of Tulsa's Michael D. Case Tennis Center.
