CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., Sept. 13, 2009 - The JMU men's tennis team opened its 2009 fall schedule at the UVA Classic held this weekend on the campus of Virginia in Charlottesville, Va.

The Dukes were led by 2008-09 All-Colonial Athletic Association double team senior Mike Smith (Fairfax Station, Va./Robinson) and junior Matt King (Lorton, Va./Robinson) as the duo recorded two wins to finish second in the B1 doubles bracket.  Smith and King opened up the bracket with an 8-6 win over Virginia's Steven Rooda and Santiago Villegas.  Smith and King moved on to the flight finals with an 8-3 win over Gilbert Wong and Sven Vloedgraven of Binghamton before falling to Wake Forest's duo of Jonathan Wolff and Danny Kreyman.

Madison's second doubles team, junior Jared Robinson (Johannesburg, South Africa/St. Stithians) and freshman Greg Vladimirsky (Coral Springs, Fla./Broward Virtual), rebounded from an opening round lost to win two straight and take the Flight C doubles consolation bracket.  Robinson and Vladimirsky dropped a 9-8 decision to the team from Liberty before taking back-to-back 8-6 wins over teams from Nebraska and Eastern Kentucky.

In singles play, the Dukes got at least one win from each of its four players.  Vladimirsky dropped his opening match before receiving a bye in the consolation bracket.  The freshman recorded his first career victory with a 6-1, 6-4 win over Ofir Weintraub of East Tennessee State University.

Smith opened up his 2008-09 season with two wins, getting a 6-1, 6-2 over Joe Schafer of Davidson.  The senior dropped his next match before wrapping up his weekend with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Will Rollinson of North Carolina State University.

King picked up a 6-2, 6-2 opening-round win over Jacob Braig of William & Mary before falling in the semifinal round of the Flight E bracket.  Robinson dropped two early matches before getting a win over Rooda.

Four other Dukes were in action this weekend as sophomores Tommi Nissinen (Oulu, Finland/Kastellin lukio), Ville Maaranen (Joensuu, Finland/Joensuun lukio) and Jovan Milic (Belgrade, Serbia/Belgrade Sports School) and freshman Stephen Hardy (Fairfax, Va./Robinson) all traveled to George Mason University for the Mason Fall Invitational.

All four Madison players opened up the event with two wins as they swept matches against opponents from Loyola and Mount Saint Mary's.  The Dukes were scheduled to take on George Mason on Sunday, with doubles schedule to follow that.

The entire JMU team will return to action Sept. 18-20 as they travel to Washington D.C. to play in the Georgetown Invitational.

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