By
Chris Suffecool
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Lloyd, Aropovic finished by second round
In the first tournament of the 2000-01 men's tennis season, Arizona sent two players - Bruno Aropovic and Tom Lloyd - to the T. Rowe Price National Intercollegiate Clay Court Championships in Baltimore.
Lloyd, a sophomore, and Aropovic, a junior, were chosen by the coaching staff to represent UA at the tournament.
Aropovic was quickly ousted from the tournament, losing his first match in the qualifying round to Jose Leite of Winthrop - 3-6, 6-3, 2-6.
Aropovic, from Sarajevo, Bosnia via Paradise Valley High School in Phoenix, played sparingly last year, compiling a 2-4 overall record.
Lloyd fared better, winning his first match against Faycal Rhazali, Radford College's top male player. Lloyd defeated Rhazali in two sets, 6-3 and 7-6, to advance to the second round of the qualifying tournament.
In the second round, Lloyd lost to Juan Yanuzzi of East Tennessee State University in two sets 6-2, 6-4.
Lloyd felt positive about the tournament, his first of the season.
"I was pretty happy about the way I played," he said. "It was a good start - the first tournament is always a good way to work the bugs out."
The Yorba Linda, Calif.-native played in the lower half of the Wildcats' lineup last season as a true freshman. Lloyd finished with a 10-18 overall record last season.
The sophomore was impressed with his showing on clay courts, a surface that the Wildcats rarely see.
"We don't really have an advantage (on clay). It's played more on the East Coast, and the schools there have more access to clay courts."
