Usta Announces United States Team for Master'u

No. 190-2009 USTA ANNOUNCES UNITED STATES TEAM FOR MASTER’U BNP PARIBAS Eight nations to compete in International Collegiate Competition December 9-14 in Poitiers, France WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., October 20, 2009 -- The USTA announced today the top American collegians selected to represent the United States in the fourth annual Master’U BNP Paribas, an international collegiate competition held December 9-14 in Poitiers, France. The event features eight teams composed of college and university players from around the world. The U.S. will be competing for the second consecutive year against a talented field that includes teams from Belgium, China, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland and Mexico. The teams will compete in a best-of-seven format consisting of two men’s and two women’s singles matches, one men’s and one women’s doubles match, and one mixed doubles match. Men Women Steve Johnson , Southern California Irina Falconi , Georgia Tech Austin Krajicek , Texas A&M Kristy Frilling , Notre Dame Eric Quigley , Kentucky Caitlin Whoriskey , Tennessee The team will be coached by Michelle Dasso , the head women’s tennis coach at the University of Illinois who also served as coach for the U.S. at the 2008 Master’U BNP Paribas, and Greg Patton , the head coach of the Boise State University men’s tennis team. The U.S. team was selected through a joint partnership between the USTA and the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) using the following criteria: • The top American male and female finishers at the 2009 ITA All-American Championships • The top male and female American applicants in the 2009 Men’s and Women’s ITA Preseason Division I Singles Rankings • Remaining roster spots were selected by a committee of USTA Player Development and ITA coaches and staff Johnson , a sophomore from Orange, Calif., reached the semifinals at the 2009 D’Novo/ITA All- American Championships and is No. 18 in singles and No. 3 in doubles in the ITA Preseason Division I Rankings. Krajicek , a junior from Brandon, Fla., is No. 30 in the ITA Preseason Division I Rankings and reached the doubles final at two USTA Pro Circuit events this summer, capturing the title at the $15,000 Futures in Loomis, Calif. Quigley , a sophomore from Pewee Valley, Ky., reached the singles and doubles quarterfinals at the 2009 D’Novo/ITA All-American Championships and is No. 24 in the ITA Preseason Division I doubles rankings. Both Johnson and Krajicek were members of the 2009 USTA Summer Collegiate Team, an elite training program funded by the USTA to provide top American collegians with valuable exposure to the USTA Pro Circuit in a team-oriented environment. - 2 - Falconi , a sophomore from Jupiter, Fla., won the 2009 Riviera/ITA All-American Championships and captured USTA Pro Circuit titles at $10,000 events in Atlanta and St. Joseph, Mo. Frilling , a sophomore from Sidney, Ohio, was the ITA Summer Circuit doubles champion and is No. 20 in the ITA Preseason Division I Rankings. Whoriskey , a junior from East Sandwich, Mass., won the doubles title at the 2009 Riviera/ITA All-American Championships and reached three USTA Pro Circuit finals (one singles and two doubles) this summer. Falconi and Whoriskey were members of the 2009 USTA Summer Collegiate Team. # # # The USTA is the national governing body for the sport of tennis in the U.S. and the leader in promoting and developing the growth of tennis at every level -- from local communities to the highest level of the professional game. A not-for-profit organization with 730,000 members, it invests 100% of its proceeds in growing the game. It owns and operates the US Open, the highest attended annual sporting event in the world, and launched the Olympus US Open Series linking 10 summer tournaments to the US Open. In addition, it owns the 94 Pro Circuit events throughout the U.S., is a minority owner and promotional partner of World TeamTennis, and selects the teams for the Davis Cup, Fed Cup, Olympic and Paralympic Games. The USTA philanthropic entity, USTA Serves, provides grants and scholarships and through tennis, helps underserved youth and people with disabilities to improve academics, build character and strive for excellence. For more information on the USTA, log on to usta.com. The office of Junior and Collegiate Competition works cooperatively with the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA), and USTA Collegiate Committee to promote varsity collegiate tennis and to increase opportunities and exposure for American players. About the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) As the governing body of collegiate tennis the ITA promotes both the athletic and academic achievements of the collegiate tennis community. The ITA, which was founded in 1956 and is based in Skillman, N.J., administers numerous regional and national championships, the ITA Collegiate Summer Circuit presented by the USTA, and the Campbell/ITA College Tennis Rankings for men's and women's tennis at the NCAA Divisions I, II and III, NAIA and Junior College levels. The ITA also has a comprehensive awards program for players and coaches to honor excellence in academics, leadership and sportsmanship. For more information contact: Tim Curry, Director, Communications, USTA; 914-696-7077; [email protected] Andrew Labovitz, Publicity Associate, USTA; 914-697-2291; [email protected] Jason Berney, ITA 609-497-6921; [email protected] .

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