Two Former Gators in Men's U.S. Open Field
Wednesday, September 2, 2009 | Men's Tennis
Former Gators Jesse Levine and Ryan Sweeting are part of the men's field of the 2009 U.S. Open, which kicked off Monday in New York, both in singles and doubles competition.
Levine, the 2007 SEC Freshman of the Year, won his first-round match with Teimuraz Gabashvili in straight sets on Tuesday, 7-5, 6-1, 6-2, marking Levine's first-career win at the U.S. Open in his third appearance at the tournament. The victory sets up a second-round showdown with 16th-seeded Marin Cilic.
Levine's second-round opponent, Cilic, downed Sweeting in first-round action Tuesday, 7-6 (2), 6-4, 7-6 (4).
Levine and Sweeting are also paired up for the doubles tournament, beginning play later today against the tandem of Johan Brunstrom and Jean-Julien Rojer.
“My [Florida] coaches still talk to me on a constant basis and they come to tournaments whenever they can,” Levine told USOpen.org. Levine said his time at UF provided him with tough competition while allowing him to mature and grow physically stronger, according to the tournament's official website.
Levine garnered attention earlier this summer by advancing to the third round at Wimbledon as a qualifier.
Of the 14 former collegiate players in the men's singles field, four come from the SEC and seven, including Levine, won their first-round match.
-UF-
