Sunday, 01/06/2019

100 wins in a row? This is not a typo and yes it is possible. Chase Hodges has guided the Georgia Gwinnett men’s tennis program to 5 consecutive national championships and an incredible 83 match win streak dating back 4 years ago to 2015.  Hodges is no stranger to win streaks as he led the Drake men’s tennis program to 42 wins in a row during his tenure with the Bulldogs.  However, 83 wins in a row is extremely hard to fathom.  The Grizzlies (currently 1-0) would need to start the season 18-0 to reach an incredible 100 wins in a row.  The question is can it be done?

The Grizzlies have lost some superstar power over the past few years due to the graduation of players like Matias Hatem, Jordan Cox, and Gilad Berman.  The most major blow could be Kevin Konfederak who graduated in May of 2018 and was a fixture at the #1 singles spot for the Grizzlies.  But, if any coach can continue a winning legacy than the Grizzlies have the best one in Chase Hodges.  Hodges started the program in 2012 and has been the one consistent theme in Lawrenceville.  There is a new crop of talent in Lawrenceville and the goal of a 6-peat is what fuels the Grizzly team.  Hodges has a strong group of 4 South American starters back from last year’s title team with Federico Herrera Duran, Rafael Coutinho, Ayed Zatar, and Valentino Caratini.  In addition, the development of Mika Kosonen is something to take note of.  Kosonen is currently ranked #2 in the nation in singles behind Herrera Duran after being in and out of the lineup in 2018.  The 2019 schedule presents plenty of potential road blocks and challenges for this Grizzly team.  The one thing that can’t be measured is that every opponent will have the GGC match circled on their schedule.  With a winning streak at 83, you can be sure that every opponent would love to end the streak.  As a college tennis fan and supporter, I can’t wait to follow the 2019 Grizzly men’s tennis team and see how Hodges manages to keep the dynasty that he has created alive. The team opened the season with an 8-1 win over NCAA D2 #5 Lander and has 4 matches this upcoming weekend. To follow the team, visit their website at www.ggcathletics.com.


Grayson Whitley Tennis Today