Former Spartans Wrap Up Play At USTA National Team Championships
9/27/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Sept. 27, 2009
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Former USC Upstate men's tennis players Sandy Franz and Alessandro De Marzo and current student assistant coach Julio Peralta wrapped up their play at the USTA National Team Championships on Saturday at the Darling Tennis Center in Las Vegas, Nev. The Southern section team finished 1-2, but won five of its nine individual matches at the event.
Competing at the 20-team tournament and representing both the USTA Southern section and the USTA South Carolina section, De Marzo, the current head tennis coach at Upstate, captained a squad that features current student assistant coach and former ATP professional Peralta and 2008 All-A-Sun selection Franz along with USC Aiken graduates Edward Horne and Nicolas Lombardo.
The team played in a five-team round robin on Friday and Saturday, narrowly falling to teams from Texas and Southern California, 2-1, but sweeping Wisconsin, 3-0. Against Texas, Peralta notched a 6-3, 6-4 win over David Corrie. Against Wisconsin, Peralta posted a 6-2, 6-4 win over Michal Stanczyk and De Marzo and Franz notched a 6-2, 6-3 win over Scott Broady and Blake Wentz at the No. 1 doubles position. Against Southern California, Franz and Nicolas Lombardo notched a 6-1, 7-5 win at No. 2 doubles.
De Marzo led his team to a second consecutive USTA Southern Sectionals title, competing in the Open Division alongside former Spartans Stefan Dumitrescu '09 and Franz, on Aug. 2, 2009. In 2008, he led his team to a Southern Sectionals title in the 5.5 classification, the highest classification besides Open, with help from former Spartans Dumitrescu and Jose Luis Reyes '07.
The men's tennis team will get a rare fall weekend off before heading to Tulsa, Okla., for the D'Novo/ITA All-American Championships, starting with pre-qualifying play on Oct. 2. The women's tennis team will next hit the courts on Oct. 8 at the University of North Florida Tournament.
