Edson Ortiz and Patrick Kaukovalta Highlight ITA Preseason Rankings
9/17/2019 12:00:00 PM | Men's Tennis
Ortiz comes in at No. 42 in singles, while he and Kaukovalta are No. 29 in doubles
TEMPE, Ariz. – Senior Edson Ortiz and junior Patrick Kaukovalta highlighted the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Preseason Rankings after Ortiz came in at No. 42 in the country in singles, while the duo came in at No. 29 in the doubles rankings, the organization announced on Tuesday.
Ortiz was a First Team All-SEC performer last season after leading the team with an overall singles record of 23-11, including 16-7 in dual match play. The Chihuahua, Mexico, native ended his junior campaign at No. 78 in the nation and helped the Crimson Tide to its second straight team appearance in the NCAA Tournament. In addition, Ortiz was selected to the main draw of the 2019 ITA Men's All-American Championships set to begin on Oct. 7-13 in Tulsa, Okla.
The combination of Ortiz and Kaukovalta went 1-1 last year, with the two playing with different doubles partners. Kaukovalta made Alabama history last year by advancing to the NCAA Doubles National Championship with former Tide All-American, Mazen Osama. A native of Espoo, Finland, Kaukovalta was named a Doubles All-American and ended the year at No. 4 in the doubles rankings for his efforts in last year's tournament. Kaukovalta was also selected in the qualifying singles draws for the ITA Men's All-American Championships this fall.
Both players will begin their fall season this upcoming weekend as Ortiz will travel to Columbia, S.C., to compete in the Gamecock Ranked +1 tournament with junior Jeremy Gschwendtner. Kaukovalta is set to make the trip to Milwaukee, Wisc., and play in the Milwaukee Tennis Classic for the second consecutive year. Last year, Kaukovalta won the singles championship at the event. This weekend he will travel with senior Zhe Zhou.
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