Zguns Eliminated in Round of 16 at NCAA Singles Championships

PALO ALTO, Calif. – It looked as though the third time might be the charm for Adrians Zguns, but the Arkansas senior could not overcome Ole Miss’ Erling Tveit, losing to the Rebel standout for the third time this season in the round of 16 Friday at the NCAA Singles Championships in Palo Alto, Calif.

Zguns, ranked 17th, earned All-America accolades with his performance in the NCAA Singles Championship, but the 22nd-ranked Tveit ended Zguns’ run, 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, at Stanford’s Taube Stadium.

After cruising in the first set, Zguns led 4-3 in the second, but lost three break points and Tveit claimed the set. Zguns also held a 2-1 advantage in the third.

Zguns and Tveit met twice previously in 2006, as both players played in the No. 1 position for their respective schools. Tveit defeated Zguns, 6-3, 6-3, on April 2 in Fayetteville, and again knocked Zguns off, 6-1, 6-0, in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament in Tuscaloosa, Ala. April 21.

By advancing to the round of 16, Zguns became the 16th Hog in school history to earn All-America honors, and the first since Oskar Johansson in 2001.

Zguns finished the 2006 season 26-13, with half of his wins coming against ranked opposition. Zguns’ All-America honor adds to his First Team All-Southeastern Conference selection in April, and his nomination for the Rafael Osuna Sportsmanship Award.

In 2006, Zguns became just the fourth player in school history to record 100 career wins, and ends his Razorback career at third on the list with 104. The Liepaja, Latvia native helped the Hogs to their highest win total (18) since 1989. Zguns led the Razorbacks to their 17th NCAA Tournament appearance in school history and to the regional finals for the fifth time in their past six appearances.

Arkansas finished the season 18-11 and 6-5 in the SEC. The Razorbacks boasted three All-SEC performers in Zguns, senior Matt Roberts and freshman Blake Strode. UA also featured five players with 20 or more victories. Roberts led the way with 28, followed by Strode with 27, Zguns with 26, sophomore Michael Jung with 23 and senior Rohan Gajjar 22.