Tennis: Field Announced For 2017 John Breaux Cajun Tennis Classic + Reunion Information

Top-15 programs Texas, Oklahoma State among programs coming to Cajun Courts in the fall 

LAFAYETTE – Seven teams that finished in the 2016-17 Oracle/ITA Collegiate Tennis Rankings national rankings will join the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns men’s tennis team as the field for the 2017 John Breaux Cajun Tennis Classic, scheduled for Sept. 22-24, was released on Wednesday.

Two teams that finished in the ITA top-15 – Texas (No. 11) and Oklahoma State (No. 15) – are among five schools that will return to compete in the weekend event at Cajun Courts. Also returning to compete in the eight-team field are Kentucky (No. 29), Texas Tech (No. 32) and LSU (No. 61) with South Florida (No. 23) and Sun Belt Conference rival Georgia State (No. 42).

Competition will start at 8:30 a.m. on both Friday (Sept. 22) and Saturday (Sept. 23) with the final day starting at 9 a.m. For the second consecutive year, the finals in the singles main draw and the doubles final will be televised on ESPN3 and Cox Sports Television.

"This will be great exposure for our tennis program and the University as a whole," head coach Mark Jeffrey said. "With ESPN3 and Cox Sports on board, it really helps with our recruiting and world-wide exposure. Our guys take great pride in this event to be able to play against the best on their home court."

Now in its fourth year after a 30-year hiatus, the Cajun Tennis Classic attracts some of the top Division I men’s programs and players on the collegiate circuit. The event is named in honor of Ragin’ Cajuns alum and former United States Senator John Breaux, a native of Crowley, La., and a four-year letterwinner and conference champion in tennis for then Southwestern Louisiana (USL) from 1961-64.

The first Cajun Classic in 1977 attracted a field that featured 20 future professional grand slam winners or finalists, five ATP top-20 singles players, 12 NCAA champions, four doubles players who reached the No. 1 world ranking and a pair of Olympic gold medal winners. In the years that followed, the Cajun Classic was able to attract even more of the top players in the world, including Kevin Curren, Robert Seguso and Ken Flach – all professional Grand Slam winners.

2017 JOHN BREAUX TENNIS CLASSIC FIELD (with final 2016-17 ITA rankings in parentheses)
Louisiana (NR), Texas (11); Oklahoma State (15), USF (23), Kentucky (29), Texas Tech (32), Georgia State (42), LSU (61)

2017 JOHN BREAUX CAJUN TENNIS CLASSIC SCHEDULE (as of July 12, 2017)
All times are Central

Friday, Sept. 22, 2017
8:30 a.m. – Doubles Main Draw
9:30 a.m. – Singles First Round (top half of draw A&B Flight)
12:00 p.m. – Singles First Round (bottom half of draw)
3:00 p.m. – Singles Second Round (top half); Consolation Singles (First Round)
5:30 p.m. – Singles Second Round (bottom half); Consolation Singles (First Round)

Saturday, Sept. 23, 2017
8:30 a.m. – Doubles quarterfinals (main and consolation)
9:30 a.m. – Consolation Singles
12:00 p.m. – Main Draw Singles (semifinals)
4:00 p.m. – Main Draw Doubles (semifinals); Consolation Doubles

Sunday, Sept. 24, 2017
9:00 a.m. – Singles/Doubles Consolation Final
12:00 p.m. – Main Draw Singles Final; Doubles Final to follow (ESPN3/Cox Sports Television)

Athletic Network Footnote by Dr. Ed Dugas:
Click here for photo gallery posted by The Advertiser of the 2016 event.
Click here for photos of some of the reunion activities of the 2016 event.
 

Men’s Tennis: Mark Your Calendar – 2017 Reunion and John Breaux Cajun Tennis Classic

Schedule of Events:

Friday – September 22^nd 8:30am Cajun Tennis Classic Begins: Matches all day until 6:00pmTeams Playing: Baylor, Texas Tech, Texas, Oklahoma State, Kentucky, LSU, South Florida and the Ragin’ Cajuns.