March 19, 2008
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - For the third time in his Penn State career, senior Michael James (Clifton, Va.) was tabbed as the Big Ten Men's Tennis Athlete of the Week on Wednesday for his efforts in Penn State's first visit to the Blue-Gray Tennis Classic last week in Montgomery, Ala. James was named Big Ten Athlete of the Week twice last season (March 15 and April 4).
James, who is ranked 52nd in the latest ITA singles ranking, notched a pair of victories over ranked opponents at the No. 1 spot in Lion wins against No. 21 Alabama (4-3) and No. 35 Boise State (4-1). He and junior Brendan Lynch (North Potomac, Md.) also recorded a 2-0 record in doubles action at the Blue-Gray.
"Michael has done an outstanding job of leading this team with his ultra-competitive attitude on match days," said head coach Todd Doebler. "As the season continues, it would be no surprise to see Michael make another jump in singles and doubles play."
Against the 21st-ranked Crimson Tide, James claimed the match-winning point to send the Lions into the Blue-Gray quarterfinals. James rallied from a set down and a 5-4 deficit in the third to defeat 94th-ranked Saketh Myneni, which clinched the Penn State victory (5-7, 6-2, 7-6 (4)).
In the quarterfinals, James tallied a straight-sets victory against No. 35 Boise State to lead the Lions into the tournament semifinals. James knocked off No. 59 Luke Shields, which put Penn State up by a score of 2-1 in the match. James took a 3-1 lead in the first on his way to notching a one-set lead (6-2). The Nittany Lion senior battled his way to a 6-4 victory in the second to secure the victory.
In doubles action, James and Lynch improved to a perfect 8-0 as a team this spring. The Lion duo recorded a pair of victories at the Blue-Gray, including an 8-5 triumph over the No. 35-ranked Tulsa team of Arnau Brugues and Ricardo Soriano. James and Lynch are now ranked 34th in the ITA national doubles rankings.
James owns a 22-8 overall record this season, including a 7-4 mark in duals. He has knocked off five ranked opponents this season. The Lion senior is 103-33 in his Penn State career.
The No. 36-ranked Penn State men's tennis team returns to Big Ten action this weekend with critical matches against No. 48 Wisconsin (9-6, 1-0) and No. 14 Michigan (11-2, 2-0). The Lions will meet Wisconsin on Sunday at 10 a.m. Penn State will then take on Michigan at 1 p.m. on Monday.