After a week of hard-fought matches, David Bere and Derrick Spice finally fell after advancing in the Icy Hot/ITA Men's All-American Championships. Senior David Bere advanced to the qualifying round in Chattanooga by recording four victories over tough competition.

Bere began singles play on Oct. 9 in the qualifying rounds for the competition. Derrick Spice Spice did not have to compete in pre-qualifying, since his season ranking was impressive enough to qualify for the round. Other Wake Forest players in action included freshman Brett Ross, senior Trent Brendon, junior Andrew Simpson, senior Mike Murray and junior Brian Murphy.

The Icy Hot/ITA Men's All-American Championships is the largest tournament of the season in collegiate tennis. The 300 plus participants are competing for the first of three Division I National Championship titles.

This year's event is hosted at the Champions Club and sponsored by Chattem, Inc., a Chattanooga pharmaceutical firm which has chosen Icy Hot to be its title sponsor.

This weekend saw 256 single players attempting to qualify through playing in the pre-qualifying tournament, which will feed into a 64-player qualifying tournament. The ultimate goal is to reach the main draw where they will have the opportunity to win the title.

A player who begins in pre-qualifying must win seven matches just to reach the main draw.

Bere was attempting to do just that and had moved through five rounds of matches before being ousted.

He won his first match versus Michele Panzeri easily in straight sets 6-0, 6-1. In the round of 128 Bere battled to a three set victory over Salman Mohammed 6-2, 4-6, 6-1. The Wake Forest senior did not drop a set in his next two matches defeating Matt Baccarani 6-4, 6-0 and Matt Behman 6-4, 6-4. Bere was slated to play Pete Stroer in the pre-qualifying round of 16, but because a spot opened up in the qualifying round they both advanced without playing the fifth pre-qualifying match.

However Bere would end his run there after suffering a loss in his singles match. After showing brilliance, Bere finally fell to UCLA's Chris Lam, 7-5, 6-2.

Though Bere fell from competition he was pleased to be amongst the contentders.

"I am excited to have the opportunity to advance to the qualifying round," said Bere.

Bere and Spice were hoping to see Wake Forest junior teammate David Loewenthal, who because of his prior performance has already qualified for the main draw of singles play, which begins Oct. 10. The doubles team of Loewenthal and Brendon began qualifying round action on Oct. 8 and were defeated on Oct 9 after losing to 8-6 to Oliver Levant and Eleazer Magallan from Florida in the Round of 16.

Ross won two matches before being ousted by Andy Metzler in the round of 6-4, 6-4, 6-1. Brendon, Simpson and Murray each won a match before being eliminated while Murphy did not make it out of the first round. Both Spice's and Bere's runs were impressive and are a testament to their potential.

The season's first national title is up for grabs and the vast size of the tournament lends to the possibility of some surprises.

Though Bere and Spice are out of the running in the Championship, Loewenthal is still fighting for glory.