July 23, 2007

RIO DE JANEIRO - Notre Dame 2007 graduate and All-American Stephen Bass opened singles action at the Pan American Games with a convincing, 6-2, 6-2, straight-set victory over Marvin Rolle (Bahamas) Monday afternoon.

Bass had little trouble in advancing to the next round, winning each set in just over 30 minutes. He will take on No. 9 seed Michael Quintero (ranked 309th in the world) of Columbia Tuesday at 12:30 p.m.

"I know who he is - I think I've practiced with him once - and he's obviously very, very good," said Bass on Tuesday's match with Quintero. "I'm looking forward to it."

Bass, along with former Wake Forest star Todd Paul and current Georgia senior Travis Helgeson (brother of Notre Dame junior Brett Helgeson) will be trying to add to a collection of 41 Pan Am medals won by U.S. tennis athletes since the inception of the Games.

-- ND --