Walt Beazley/University of Tulsa

J.P. Smith celebrates a point during the NCAA Singles quarterfinals action on May 24, 2008 in Tulsa.

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TULSA, Okla. - Tennessee's J.P. Smith played a healthy two sets of tennis to advance to the NCAA singles championships. Smith, however, needs to lay off the American football.

Smith defeated Pepperdine's Andre Begemann 6-2, 6-4 to reach the final during Sunday's action at the hot and humid Case Tennis Center.

Unseeded Smith will face the defending champion and No. 1 Somdev Devvarman of Virginia in Monday's 5 p.m. (EDT) final.

Smith will try and win the Vols' second individual NCAA singles title since 1977. Chris Woodruff, who is Tennessee's assistant tennis coach, won the 1993 singles championship.

When asked why he had his shoulder iced, Smith just smiled and said he had been throwing the football around too much. Not used to the motion or the shape of the college football, Smith worked muscles he never uses.

Of reaching the final, Smith was almost surprised.

"I had not really thought about it," he said. "I'm looking forward to it. It's great now."

Smith got off to a good start against Begemann and made some crucial serve and volley points when he needed them the most. Smith forced Begemann into some unforced errors and capitalized on them.

"I'm playing my best tennis now," Smith said.

What will his strategy be against Devvarman, who won 6-4, 7-6 (3) over Stanford freshman Alex Clayton and reached his third straight NCAA final.

"Somdev's quick and serves well," Smith said. "I will take my chances when they are presented. I'm not going to leave anything behind."

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.