Selected BYU players started competing Monday in the 2008 D'Novo/ ITA Men's All-American Championships.

"Outside of the NCAA tennis tournament, it's the biggest tournament of the year," head coach Brad Pearce said.

Junior Cassidy Mears and sophomore Thomas Shubert put up a good fight at the championship, but lost in the doubles third qualifying round Wednesday at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center at the University of Tulsa.

Mears and Shubert beat teams from New Mexico and Minnesota, but fell short against TCU, including sophomore Emanuel Brighiu and junior Adrian Simon, with a final match score of 8-4.

BYU sophomores AJ Young and Evan Urbina also competed in Tulsa, Okla. BYU had two doubles teams qualify and Shubert participated in both singles and doubles events. Shubert fell short to USC senior Abdullah Magdas in, 6-4, 6-2, in the qualifying singles event round Monday.

Each Cougar was selected to play in the tournament by last year's results, head coach Brad Pearce said.

Shubert, Mears, and Urbina competed in the mandatory singles qualifying consolation round but were defeated by Montana State's Corey Smith, Arkansas' Chris Nott and New Mexico's Gustave Diep, respectively.

Copyright Brigham Young University 10 Oct 2008