Roman Borvanov Puts Moldovan Tennis on the Map

Eurovision 2010 taught us once and for all that Moldovan men know how to wield a saxophone, but their prowess with tennis racquets as a people was decidedly less established.

But with the qualification of Moldova's Roman Borvanov into the main draw of this week's SAP Open in San Jose, the first appearance ever by a Moldovan in the main draw of an ATP tournament, the landlocked former Soviet country of over 4 million is moving onto the tennis consciousness.

Borvanov, a product of the University of Portland's tennis program, managed to make it through a bizarrely depleted qualifying draw in San Jose without facing a single player with a better ranking than his #357.  His luck quickly ran out in the main draw, though, as Borvanov drew the daunting #5 seed Denis Istomin in the first round.  Borvanov put up a valiant fight, stretching the world #49 before eventually falling 6-3, 7-5.

With his qualifying run in San Jose, Borvanov will move well past his previous career high ranking of #343--quite a feat for a player who started 2011 outside the top 400. 

There are currently no other Moldovan men in the top 500, and with Borvanov turning 29 in March it's tough to say the country's tennis future looks particularly bright.  Moldova's Davis Cup team is currently ranked 78th, behind other tennis-less countries as Oman and Guatemala.  But with this one match, Borvanov has put Moldovan tennis somewhat more onto the map...even if most couldn't tell you just where on the map that happens to be.