Sunday, 03/07/2010

Sunday’s contest to serve as Campus Kids Day

 

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The No. 25 ranked Alabama men’s tennis team (6-5) opens up SEC play this weekend by hosting a pair of matches at the University of Alabama Tennis Stadium. The Crimson Tide will battle No. 11 Georgia (7-2) on Friday, March 5 at 2:00 p.m. (CST) and No. 2 Tennessee (11-1) on Sunday, March 7 at 1:00 p.m. (CST). Sunday’s match will serve as Campus Kids Day that will include a chance for children to hit tennis balls before the match, meet Big Al, stencil their racquets with Alabama As and eat free pizza. Admission to all tennis matches is free.

 

“It was very positive for us to get three wins last weekend and get back on the winning track heading into conference play; however, we start off with a very challenging weekend with Georgia and Tennessee,” said head coach Billy Pate. “Without question, these are two of the top teams in the country, and we’ll need to play our absolute best. We’ve had great success at home so far and look forward to great support from our home crowd.”

 

Last weekend, Alabama won a trio of matches at home to build some momentum heading into conference action. On Friday, the Tide took down then No. 16 Pepperdine 4-2, led by wins in singles and doubles from sophomore Ricky Doverspike. In doubles, Doverspike teamed up with fellow sophomore Michael Thompson to pick up an 8-4 win at No. 2 doubles, while fighting through a tough three-set match to win at No. 2 singles 3-6, 7-5, 6-3. Senior Saketh Myneni also picked up a huge win, defeating No. 44 Bassam Beidas 6-2, 6-2 on court one, moving his ranking up to No. 38 in the nation. Sophomore Michael Davis clinched the victory for Alabama with his three-set win at the No. 6 position.

 

On Sunday, the Tide dominated a doubleheader against Eastern Kentucky and Winthrop. Alabama swept the Colonels 7-0 before handily defeating the Eagles 6-1. Freshman Jarryd Botha won convincingly in both of his singles matches, dropping a combined eight games in four sets. The Tide was dominant in doubles as well, taking all six of the matches. With the three wins on the weekend, Alabama moved to 6-0 at home for the season.

 

The Georgia Bulldogs enter the weekend coming off a 6-1 defeat over then No. 65 Furman at home on Monday. That win moved Georgia to 6-2 on the season against teams currently ranked in this week’s ITA Division I Men’s rankings. The Bulldogs have three players ranked in the singles rankings, led by junior Javier Garrapiz, who is ranked No. 29. Garrapiz and fellow junior Drake Bernstein team up to form the No. 34 doubles duo in the nation. Georgia owns a commanding 49-8 advantage in the all-time series with the Tide, with Alabama’s last win coming in 2003.

 

The Tennessee Volunteers head to the state of Alabama after bouncing back from its only defeat of the season to down No. 20 Wake Forest 4-3 Sunday in Winston-Salem, N.C. Tennessee started the season 10-0, including making a run to the finals of the Wilson/ITA National Indoor Championships, falling to No. 1 Virginia 4-1. The Vols have four players ranked inside the top 100 in singles, including junior John-Patrick Smith, who checks in this week at No. 4. Tennessee also has three doubles team ranked in the top 10, but only two of them have seen playing time this spring. The Vols lead the all-time series with the Tide 35-11, not having lost to Alabama since 2006.

 

Next up, the Tide hits the road for the first time in SEC play, traveling to take on South Carolina and Florida. Alabama will take on the Gamecocks on Friday, March 12 at 2:00 p.m. (CST) and Florida on Sunday, March 14 at 1:00 p.m. (CST).