Hogs? Doubles Ranked in ITA Preseason Top 10; Veteran Trio Ranked in Singles

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Arkansas’ top doubles team is ranked among the nation’s elite in the ITA preseason top-10 rankings, while a trio of Razorback veterans begin the 2005-06 season in the top 75. The doubles combination of seniors Rohan Gajjar and Adrians Zguns enters the season ranked sixth nationally. The pair closed last season as the nation’s 25th-ranked duo after advancing to the second round of the NCAA Doubles Championship, ultimately falling to the top-ranked and eventual national championship team of John Isner and Antonio Ruiz of Georgia. Gajjar, Zguns and fellow senior Matt Roberts are ranked 31st, 58th and 73rd, respectively. Each made a significant jump from the final rankings following the 2005 season, with Gajjar moving up from No. 62, Zguns from No. 101 and Roberts from No. 118. A native of Mumbai, India, Gajjar was a first-team All-Southeastern Conference selection after going 21-15 with seven wins over ranked opponents and gaining a bid to the NCAA Singles Championships. Zguns was 18-14 a year ago and had a 6-5 record in conference action. The Liepaja, Latvia native’s strong 7-3 finish pushed him back into the national rankings, where he began the season ranked 10th nationally. Roberts achieved second-team All-SEC honors following one of the top individual seasons in school history. The Little Rock product tallied 26 wins, 10th all-time in a season at Arkansas, including a 9-3 mark in the SEC. The trio of Gajjar, Zguns and Roberts will lead the Hogs when they open their 2006 schedule Jan. 16 against Sterling University at the Dills Tennis Center in Fayetteville.