Virginia Ranked Plus One brings in pair from IU

Junior Lachlan Ferguson and sophomore Maxime Armengaud will represent the IU men’s tennis team at the University of Virginia Ranked Plus One tournament this weekend.

Ferguson, who is ranked No. 52 in the nation by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, will play North Carolina’s Jose Hernandez in the first round Friday. He is the third seed in the A-4 bracket and could see No. 14 Michael Shabaz of Virginia if both advance past their first three matches.

Ferguson is excited to get back on the court after being limited during the summer because of an operation on his groin and stomach.

“I’m ready to get back out there,” he said. “It’s going to be a big challenge for me going against some of the best players in the country.  Hopefully I can get a few wins.”

Armengaud enters the tournament unranked and will play the fourth seed, Viktor Maksimcuk (Louisville), in the A-1 bracket.

IU coach Randy Bloemendaal said the tournament is a good opportunity for both players to gain not only valuable experience, but also points toward their ranking.
The tournament is held in Charlottsville, Va., and continues through Sunday.

“You get points for every win you can get against a ranked player, so it’s a chance for our guys to pick up multiple points when we go to these types of tournaments,” Bloemendaal said. “It’s good recognition now, but it’s also good recognition on the backside when the rankings come out. Anything like this is really a good opportunity for our guys.”