Georgia Tech Team Page
Yellow Jacket junior knocks off Virginia’s Shabaz in semifinals<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> New Haven, Conn. – Georgia Tech’s Guillermo Gomez advanced to the championship match of the ITA National Indoor Tennis Championships Saturday, coming from behind to knock off Virginia’s Michael Shabaz, 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, in the semifinals.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> The Tech junior’s victory, coupled with Irina Falconi’s win in Saturday’s women’s semifinals, gives the Yellow Jackets a chance to become only the second school in the history of the national indoors to win both the men’s and women’s titles in the same year.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> The fifth-ranked Gomez will attempt to knock off two top-seeded Trojans in three days en route to claiming the singles title. Sunday, he will face 16th-ranked and fifth-seeded Steve Johnson of Southern California at 1 p.m. In Friday's quarterfinals, he knocked off No. 3 Robert Farah in a rematch of last year's quarterfinal match.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> "I played Steve in the NCAA's but I had some problems physically,” said Gomez, who improved to 13-1 in singles this fall. “He is a fighter, so I know it is going to be a tough match. But I am looking forward to it."<br /> <br /> Tomorrow's test is no easier for Gomez as Johnson is coming off a monstrous come from behind victory over top-seeded and clear favorite J.P. Smith of Tennessee in Satuday's semifinals. This matchup will also be a rematch for Gomez to exact revenge as he dropped a three set match to Johnson in the 2009 NCAA Singles Championship.<br /> <br /> Johnson, a sophomore ranked No. 18 in singles and No. 3 in doubles in the Campbell/ITA Preseason Rankings, has really stepped his game up this fall, making it to the semifinals at the D'Novo/ITA All-American Championships in early October and with today's win over the top seed, proving he is among the nation's elite.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> "Today was a solid match,” Gomez said of his win over Shabaz. “(Head coach) Kenny (Thorne) and I had a game plan before the match, but we had to adjust during it because Shabaz was playing great. I stayed positive the whole time and fought hard, that was the key. I played against Johnson in last year’s NCAA’s. I lost in a tight match but I can wait to play him again.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “I want to congratulate Irina for her finals, too,” he continued. "During warm-ups, Irina and I were talking about how great it would be if we both were to win the tournament, and it is looking like it is very possible.”<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Live scoring updates for Sunday’s matches at the 2009 ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Tennis Championships will be available at <a href="http://www.itatennis.com/Events/ITANationalChampionships/NationalIndoors.htm.">http://www.itatennis.com/Events/ITANationalChampionships/NationalIndoors.htm.<br /> </a><br /> <br /> <br /> --www.ramblinwreck.com-- <br /> <br /> <br /> ----------------------------------------------------<br /> Mike Stamus<br /> Georgia Tech Sports Information<br /> 150 Bobby Dodd Way<br /> Atlanta, GA 30332<br /> Ph: 404-894-5445<br /> Fax: 404-894-1248<br /> <a href="http://mstamus@athletics.gatech.edu">mstamus@athletics.gatech.edu</a><br /> www.ramblinwreck.com<br /> <br />
