One of the nation's best players during his career...Extremely talented senior who has had a major impact on the Bulldogs' success during his first three seasons...Has been ranked as high as third nationally during his career...Holds outstanding career marks of 92-33 (73.6%) in singles and 55-38 (59.1%) in doubles...His 92 singles wins tie him for fifth all-time at MSU...Also needs just 10 more singles and doubles victories to enter State's top 10 for total triumphs...Has excellent career dual match marks of 42-15 (73.7%) in singles and 36-21 (63.2%) in doubles...An all-America selection in singles following both his sophomore and junior seasons...Named the ITA's National Player to Watch in 2002...Also named first-team, all-SEC in each of his first three seasons at State, the first MSU player ever to accomplish that feat...Strengths are forehand, ability to counterpunch, quickness on the court and ability to adjust to any type of game.
2003-04 (SENIOR):
Ranked fourth nationally in singles entering the spring, and is tied for 32nd in doubles with partner Florent Girod...Looks primed to have his best season ever.
FALL--Ranked 11th nationally entering the semester...Had an incredible run, going 13-3 in singles with all but one of his victories coming in straight-set fashion...Was one of only two players in the nation to make at least the quarterfinals of both majors...Reached the quarterfinals of the Southern Intercollegiate Championships (Athens, GA) to open the term...Followed that with a quarterfinal showing at the ITA All-American Hardcourt Championships (Chattanooga, TN)...Won the title at the ITA Southeast Region Indoor Championships (Memphis, TN)...Made the quarterfinals of the ITA National Indoor Championships (Ann Arbor, MI) to close out the fall...Also teamed with Girod to make the round of 16 at the Southern Intercollegiate event and the quarters at the Southeast Regional Indoor tourney.
2002-03 (JUNIOR):
Named all-America for the second straight season and first-team, all-SEC for the third year in a row...Also named the ITA Southeast Region recipient of the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sportsmanship & Leadership Award and the Rafael Osuna Sportsmanship Award...An ITA Scholar-Athlete selection as well...Went 15-8 in singles, 11-12 in doubles, all during the spring (missed the fall with an injury)...Ended the year tied for 20th nationally in singles.
FALL--Did not compete due to injury.
SPRING--15-8 in singles, 11-12 in doubles, in helping State back to the NCAA Championship for the 13th straight season...Was 13-6 in dual match singles (8-3 SEC), all at the #1 position in the lineup...Won 13 of 17 matches at one point during the semester...Made the round of 16 of doubles (with Max Fomine) at the SEC Indoor Championships (Norcross, GA)...Qualified for the NCAA Singles Championship (Athens, GA) for the second time during his career, reaching the second round.
2001-02 (SOPHOMORE):
Had one of the best seasons in MSU history, posting 37-11 singles and 23-11 doubles marks overall...His 37 singles triumphs were the third-most ever in one year at State...Had 25 wins over players in the top 100, 10 against the top 25...Ended the year ranked ninth nationally in singles, 35th in doubles with Rene-Charles Combette...An all-America and first-team, all-SEC selection in singles...Also named ITA Region III (second straight year) and National Player to Watch.
FALL--Went 15-5 in singles and 7-3 in doubles...Took the singles title of the Southern Collegiate Championships (Athens, GA) to open the term with six-consecutive wins, five of them coming in straight sets...Advanced to the semifinals of the Omni Hotels Southern Regional Championships (Knoxville, TN)...An at-large selection to the second major of the year, the Omni Hotels National Indoor Championships (Dallas, TX)...Fell in the first round of that event's main draw, but rebounded with three wins to reach the finals of the consolation draw...Teamed with Rene-Charles Combette for a 5-2 doubles mark...The duo reached the quarterfinals of the Omni Regional event and was 3-1 at the Bulldog Scramble (Athens, GA) in early November...Paired with Max Fomine to make the quarters at the Southern Collegiates.
SPRING--Opened the term by reaching the semifinals of singles and quarterfinals of doubles (w/Combette) at the SEC Indoor Championships (Lexington, KY)...Registered superb results in team play with 18-4 singles and 14-6 doubles dual match records, playing all of his matches at the #1 position...Was 9-2(s) and 7-4(d) in SEC play...Opened the team slate by going a perfect 19-0 (10-0 singles, 9-0 doubles)...Qualified for the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships (College Station, TX), but fell in the first round of both draws...Was the #7 seed in singles.
2000-01 (FRESHMAN):
Was 27-11 in singles and 19-12 in doubles in his first year as a collegian...Both marks could have been considerably better if not for a broken ankle in the spring...Named first-team, all-SEC following the campaign, the first MSU newcomer ever to earn that honor...Burst onto the college scene in the fall, ranked sixth nationally at the end of the term...Due to the broken ankle, he finished the year 33rd in the country...Named the ITA Region III Player to Watch.
FALL--Had an incredible fall semester, going 15-4 in singles...Faced teammate Rene-Charles Combette for the title of two tournaments during the term...Defeated Combette in the finals of the Citizens Bank Collegiate Clay Court Championships (Johnson City, TN) and fell to him for the crown of the Arizona State/Thunderbirds Collegiate Invitational (Tempe, AZ)...Teamed with Combette for a 5-5 record in doubles, including a semifinal showing at the Citizens Bank tournament...The duo also qualified for the All-American Hardcourt Championships (Stone Mountain, GA), reaching the round of 16 of the main draw there...Also 2-2 with Max Fomine, including reaching the semifinals of the Arizona State/Thunderbirds Invitational (Tempe, AZ).
SPRING--Was an immediate impact for State, notching a 10-3 record in team singles matches before breaking his left ankle against Georgia on March 25...Thought to be out for the season, he returned to action for MSU in the NCAA Team Championship in May, going 3-0 in doubles (with Combette), 1-1 in singles...The lone singles victory was a three-set, match-clinching victory in MSU's upset of Illinois that advanced State to the round of 16...Ended the year 11-5 in dual match singles play, 12-4 in doubles...Also became the third MSU true freshman ever to qualify for the NCAA Singles Championship (Athens, GA), but fell in the first round.
PRE-MSU:
Attended Lycee Bellevue as a prep player...Reached the semifinals of the French Championship (under 18s) in 1998...Was ranked fifth in France in the under 18s in 1997.
PERSONAL:
Romain Jean-Rene Ambert was born March 23, 1979, in Toulouse, France...The son of Andre and Yvette Ambert...Pros Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi are his favorites...Enjoys listening to music, having parties, spending time with good friends, and playing soccer to relax...Studying general business administration at MSU.
AMBERT'S CAREER SINGLES STATS
Season #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 Dual SEC Overall Pct.
Fall 2003 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 13-3 .813
2002-03 13-6 -- -- -- -- -- 13-6 8-3 15-8 .652
2001-02 18-4 -- -- -- -- -- 18-4 9-2 37-11 .771
2000-01 -- 11-4 0-1 -- -- -- 11-5 4-1 27-11 .711
TOTALS 31-10 11-4 0-1 -- -- -- 42-15 21-6 92-33 .736
AMBERT'S CAREER DOUBLES STATS
Season #1 #2 #3 Dual SEC Overall Pct.
Fall 2003 -- -- -- -- -- 2-3 .400
2002-03 8-11 2-0 -- 10-11 5-6 11-12 .478
2001-02 14-6 -- -- 14-6 7-3 23-11 .677
2000-01 1-2 5-2 6-0 12-4 3-2 19-12 .613
TOTALS 23-19 7-2 6-0 36-21 15-11 55-38 .591
