Metz Finishes USA College Summer Team Stint with World Ranking – Ohio State Buckeyes
8/14/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Aug. 14, 2001
%^$COLUMBUS, Ohio- Phillip Metz (Jr., Mentor, Ohio/Mentor), the Ohio State men’s tennis team’s No. 1 singles player, finished his summer travels with the 2001 USA College Summer Team with a 14-4 record and two ATP points. The points, earned through wins in the maid draw of specified tournaments, are used to create professional world rankings in the ATP.%^$
%^$”It was certainly an honor for Phil Metz to be on the USA College Team,” Ty Tucker, OSU head coach, said. “He used the chance to score a professional world ranking. He was not given the ranking just because he was on the team but because he went out there and won some matches.”%^$
%^$Metz cracked the Aug. 13 rankings at No. 1,325 with one point. He earned that point with a 6-3, 6-0 defeat of South Africa’s Raven Klaasen at the USTA/Ursula Beck Tennis Classic in Decatur, Ill., Aug. 2. Metz, who gained entrance into the tournament as a wild card selection, fell in the second round in a 6-4, 6-3 decision to the No. 2 seed, and eventual champion, Thomas Dupre of France.%^$
%^$The following week, the college team traveled to Godfrey, Ill., for the Lewis and Clark College 2001 USTA Men’s Futures event. Metz advanced through four tough rounds of qualifying in four days to make the main draw where he met former Notre Dame player Ryan Sachire. Metz prevailed, 6-4, 6-3, to earn his second tour point which will move him up the rankings when they are released Aug. 20.%^$
%^$”It feels good to be ranked though it is a very low ranking,” Metz said. “Qualifying for the main draw was more important for me than getting a ranking because qualifying is so tough. You have to win four days in a row to make a tougher field and I was able to do that.”%^$
%^$The college team was composed of Metz, Lesley Joseph and Bo Hodge of Georgia, Ramsey Smith of Duke, Graydon Oliver of Illinois and John Paul Fruttero of California.%^$
%^$”It was really great to be able to travel and play with such a great group of guys,” Metz said. “They took me in and now we are equals. I always thought I was below them but after traveling and practicing with them, I know I am just as good as they are. I really feel I earned their respect.”%^$
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%^$Phil Metz%^$at USTA/Ursula Beck Tennis Classic%^$Decatur, Ill. (July 30-Aug 5)%^$Main Draw First def. Raven Klaasen (RSA) 6-3, 6-0%^$Main Draw Second lost to #2 Thomas Dupre (FRA) 6-4, 6-3%^$
%^$at Lewis and Clark College 2001 USTA Men’s Futures%^$Godfrey, Ill. (Aug. 6-12)%^$Qualif. First def. Alex Muresan (USA) 6-2, 6-2%^$Qualif. Second def. Ryan Smith (USA) 6-2, 6-1%^$Qualif. Third def. #15 Lee Taylor Walker (USA) 6-1, 4-4 (ret.)%^$Qualif. Fourth def. Aleksey Zharniov (RUS) 6-2, 6-0%^$Main Draw First def. Ryan Sachire (USA) 6-4, 6-3%^$Main Draw Second lost to Raven Klaasen (RSA) 4-6, 6-4, 4-2 (ret.)
