RAMS WRAP UP PLAY AT BLUE/GRAY CLASSIC WITH 4-0 LOSS TO TULSA

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – If there was a strength of schedule calculated in NCAA Division I men's tennis, the Virginia Commonwealth University squad would have to be near the top. For the seventh time this season, the Rams faced a top-50 squad, this time it was #39 Tulsa in the winner's bracket consolation round of the Blue/Gray Classic.

The Hurricane came out firing and never stopped dropping the Black & Gold, 4-0. The Rams drop to 9-7 on the year with the loss.

Tulsa sped through the doubles competition to take a 1-0 lead on VCU. 45th-ranked Ashley Watling proved too much for junior Tim Johanssen (Hohenlockstedt, Germany) at #3 singles, 6-2, 6-2, while senior Thibaut Charron (Sens, France) fell to 88th-ranked Marcelo Arevalo at #1 singles, 7-6, 6-4.

Grant Ive wrapped up the win for the Hurricane with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Camill Salomon (Limoges, France) at #5 singles.

The schedule doesn't get any easier for the Black & Gold as travel to Charlottesville, Virginia to take on top-ranked Virginia on Wednesday afternoon at 3 p.m.

#39 Tulsa 4, #73 VCU 0

Singles Competition
1. #88 Marcelo Arevalo def. #52 Charron, 7-6, 6-4
2. Krocsko v. #114 Philip Stephens,  6-7, DNF
3. #45 Ashley Watling def. Johanssen, 6-2, 6-2
4. Wennakoski v. Marko Ballok, 6-3, 3-6, DNF
5. Grant Ive def. Salomon, 6-1, 6-1
6. Svensson v. Tristan Jackson, 6-4, DNF
Order of Finish: 3,1,5

Doubles Competition
1. #40 Stephens/Watling (TUL) def. Charron/Johanssen, 8-5
2. Ballok/Barnes (TUL) def. Krocsko/Salomon, 9-8
3. Arevalo/Ive (TUL) def. Wennakoski/Svennson 8-0
Order of Finish: 3,1,2