Payman notches first-round win before bowing out of NCAAs

May 18, 2007

ST. LOUIS, MO- Senior Payum Payman (Pleasant Valley, NY/Arlington) became the first Wheaton College men's tennis player in the program's 18-year history to compete in an NCAA Division III Championship on Friday, winning his opening match before bowing out in the second round at Washington University in St. Louis' Dwight Davis Tennis Center.

Payman, who is ranked seventh in the Northeast by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA), finished 20-6 this season while seeing a 12-match winning streak come to an end. He completed his college career with a 120-51 record between singles and doubles action.

In the first round, Payman dropped the first set before twice rallying from two games down to corral a 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 victory over Johns Hopkins University freshman southpaw David Maldow (Jericho, NY/Jericho Senior). Maldow, the fifth-ranked player in the Atlantic South region according to the ITA, pulled out of a five-all tie in the opening set by taking the final two games. Payman then trailed 4-2 in the second set before winning the final four games to force a deciding set. Down by a 3-1 count, Payman won the final five games to rally for the first victory by a Lyon in NCAA Championship play. Maldow fell to 18-6.

During Payman's second match of the day, he dropped a 6-2, 7-5 second-round decision against junior Andy Bryan (Edina, MN/Edina) of Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota. Bryan, who is ranked fifth in the nation and first in the Central region at 27-10, had dropped only two points in his first-round match before downing Payman in their opening set. Payman fell behind 3-0 in the second set before battling all the way back to lead 5-4, but Bryan won the final three games to capture the victory and advance to quarterfinals.

The two matches capped a stellar career for Payman, who was a seven-time New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) All-Conference honoree. After being named league rookie of the year in 2004, Payman earned NEWMAC Player-of-the-Year laurels this spring.

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