HAWK TALK

May 2021

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31 T he University of Iowa men's doubles team of Will Davies and Oliver Okonkwo has been selected to compete at the 2021 NCAA Men's Tennis Championships on May 23-28, in Orlando, Florida. e 2021 NCAA Championships are hosted by Central Florida at the USTA National Campus. Davies and Okonkwo are the seventh doubles team in program history — and the first in more than three decades — to qualify for the NCAA Championships. e last Hawkeye doubles team to qualify for the NCAA Championships was Claes Ramel and Martin Aguirre in 1989. e duo of Davies/Okonkwo earned the Big Ten's automatic bid. Davies/Okonkwo are the only doubles team from a Big Ten institution to qualify for the 32-team national men's bracket. "I am glad to see our team selected to the NCAA doubles tournament," said Mellecker Family Head Men's Tennis Coach Ross Wilson. "Our goal is to be All-America, so we need to prepare well and be ready to win at least two matches." Davies/Okonkwo have played together since Okonkwo's rookie season in 2018-19. With both being natives of England — Davies from Norwich and Okonwko from Berkshire — it is no surprise the tandem formed a chemistry that enabled them to steadily climb the national rankings. In their second major tournament playing together in the fall of 2018, Davies/Okonkwo were Big Ten doubles finalists. In the fall of 2019, Davies/ Okonkwo won four consecutive ITA Central Regionals doubles matches to become the first Hawkeye duo in more than three decades to finish as doubles finalists at Regionals. eir performance at Regionals earned them a spot at the ITA Fall National Championships. Davies/ Okonkwo is the first Iowa doubles team in 20 years to qualify for the national tournament. Davies/Okonkwo's partnership is something the Iowa program has never seen before with them ascending as high as No. 2 nationally in mid-April. ey earned the ranking by virtue of a 10-2 record, including four wins over ranked opponents. eir biggest win came over seventh-ranked Nick Brookes/Simen Bratholm of Northwestern. Davies/Okonkwo posted a season sweep over the Wildcat duo, beating them three times by scores of 6-1, 6-3 and 6-3. With this being the final season for the Iowa men's tennis program, the NCAA Championships provides Davies a final shot at becoming the program's all-time leader in doubles victories. Davies is currently tied with Will Vasos (2008-12) with 71 wins. With the record in sight, Davies/ Okonkwo will be ready later this month.

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