Senior Marc Bruche will advance to the main draw of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association All-American Championships after he won his third-consecutive match at the tournament in Tulsa, Okla., on Wednesday.

The native of Germany is the first Iowa men’s player in program history to reach the tournament’s 64-player main draw.

Bruche defeated Boise State’s James Meredith in straight sets to advance. He took the first set, 6-3, and then battled the Bronco to the tiebreaker in the second set. The Iowa senior, ranked No. 101 in the country, rolled to a 7-2 victory in the tiebreaker to punch his ticket to the main draw.

"Marc made history for us as a program today by making it to the main draw," 31-year head coach Steve Houghton said in a release. "It’s both a great accomplishment and great honor for him and for our program."

The senior’s victory pushed the Hawkeyes to 9-3 in singles play in the tournament. Bruche is now three wins away from an automatic berth in the National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships, held Nov. 3-6 in Flushing Meadows, N.Y.

Bruche will play two matches today, beginning with a noon first-round matchup with the nation’s No. 4 freshman, UCLA’s Marcos Giron. Depending on the outcome, he will then play either a second-round or consolation match.

— by Ryan Murphy