Men’s Tennis Player Jeremy Wurtzman Ranked No. 1 – Ohio State Buckeyes
1/13/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Jan. 13, 2004
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Buckeye senior Jeremy Wurtzman (Sr., Rochester, N.Y./Brickhouse Academy/Florida) received the No. 1 spot in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association national polls, released Tuesday. Wurtzman is the first Buckeye to receive a top national ranking in program history.
Wurtzman became the first Buckeye in history to claim a national tournament title after he won the ITA National Indoor Championship, Nov. 9 in Ann Arbor, Mich. Wurtzman was ranked No. 20 (Sept. 3 preseason polls) at the time and defeated three of the Top 10 players in the nation at the national indoors, including No. 2 Bo Hodge of Georgia, No. 5 Janne Holmia of Florida and No. 6 Chad Harris of Vanderbilt.
“Jeremy (Wurtzman) had a great fall and deserves this ranking,” Ty Tucker, Ohio State head coach, said. “It is unbelievable to have a Buckeye ranked in the No. 1 spot and we hope he can sustain that position.”
Wurtzman, on an 11-match win streak, is 14-1 in tournament play this season. He extended his career singles record to 104-41, including a 24-16 record as a freshman at Florida. He surpassed the century mark after a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Vanderbilt’s Chad Harris.
Wurtzman became the first Buckeye to win a regional tournament after he captured the 2003 Midwest Regional title Oct. 28 in East Lansing, Mich.
In doubles, Wurtzman and newcomer Joey Atas (Fr., Baltimore, Md./Calvert Hall) are ranked No. 21. Wurtzman and Atas went 6-2 in 2003 fall tournament play and claimed the doubles consolation title Oct. 11 at the ITA All-American Championships in Chattanooga, Tenn.
The OSU tandem of Scott Green (So., North Canton, Ohio/Hoover) and Ross Wilson (So., Toledo, Ohio/Toledo St. Francis de Sales) hold the No. 38 spot doubles spot. Green and Wilson went 8-4 in fall tournament action and advanced to the semifinal round Oct. 26 at the ITA Midwest Regional Championships in East Lansing, Mich. The pair was ranked No. 42 in the last preseason polls (Sept. 3).
As a team, the Buckeyes are ranked No. 17 in the preseason polls. Ohio State plays host to Xavier and Cleveland State in its season opener Jan. 23 at Jesse Owens West Recreation Center in Columbus, Ohio.
Top 10 ITA Division I Men’s Tennis Singles (Jan.13)
No. 1 – Jeremy Wurtzman, Ohio State
No. 2 – Alex Vlaski, Washington
No. 3 – Benedikt Dorsch, Baylor
No. 4 – Romain Ambert, Mississippi State
No. 5 – Benjamin Becker, Baylor
No. 6 – Bo Hodge, Georgia
No. 7 – Ludovic Walter, Duke
No. 8 – Michael Kogan, Tulane
No. 9 – Janne Holmia, Florida
No. 10 – Conor Niland, California
