Eric Butorac, a 2003 graduate of Gustavus Adolphus College and former NCAA Division III Singles and Doubles Champion, picked up his first ever win in a Grand Slam tournament when he teamed with partner Travis Parrott to post a first round victory at the Australian Open on Thursday afternoon (Wednesday night in the United States).
Butorac, ranked #70 in the world doubles rankings, and Parrott, ranked #61 (both from the United States), defeated Yves Allegro (Switzerland), who is ranked #39 and Robert Lindstedt (Sweden) who is ranked #41, in three sets, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5 in the tiebreaker).
The first set saw the two teams battle to a 4-4 draw, before Allegro and Lindstedt won the final two games to claim the set 6-4.
In the second set, Butorac and Parrott jumped out to a 5-2 lead and then held on to claim the set 6-4.
In the third set, both teams held serve throughout, which forced the tiebreaker. Allegro and Lindstedt jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the tiebreaker, before Butorac and Parrott rallied to score six straight points and claim the thrilling victory.
Allegro and Lindstedt are currently ranked 15th in the Stanford ATP Doubles Race.
Butorac, on initial research, is believed to be the first NCAA Division III tennis player to have ever won a doubles match in a Grand Slam Tournament.
The duo now advances to the second round to face Frantisek Cermak and Jaroslav Levinsky of the Czech Republic on Saturday morning (Friday evening in the U.S.). Cermak (ranked #24 in world) and Levinsky (ranked #28 in the world) are seeded 12th in the doubles draw.