Friday, 01/20/2012

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Alabama men’s tennis team (0-1) opened its 2012 dual match season with a 4-3 loss to Northwestern (3-0) on Friday at the Roberta Alison Baumgardner Tennis Facility. The Crimson Tide picked up one win in doubles, despite the point going to the Wildcats, and three victories in singles.

“Though our effort was great, we simply didn’t execute and made entirely too many mistakes,” said Alabama head coach Billy Pate. “We had a great, spirited crowd and a super environment, so we are disappointed we couldn’t get the win.”

The Alabama senior duo of Ricky Doverspike and Michael Thompson would finish first in doubles, posting an 8-3 victory over sophomore Raleigh Smith and freshman Alex Pasareanu on court two. Doverspike and Thompson got off to a quick start, taking a 3-0 lead in the match. The Tide team found itself down 15-40 in the eighth game, but came back and had a big hold to take the 6-3 advantage. They would go on to win the final two games for the victory. Next to finish would be the matchup on court one, going in favor of Northwestern, 8-4. Wildcat senior Josh Graves and junior Spencer Wolf picked up one break early and another midway through the set over Alabama junior Jarryd Botha and freshman David Vieyra for the 5-2 edge. The teams would go back and forth from there, before Northwestern eventually closed out the match.

The doubles point ended up coming down to court three, which was a battle from the start. Tide sophomores Daniil Proskura and Carlos Taborga trailed Wildcat senior Tobias Reitz and junior Sidarth Balaji, but came back to take the lead at 6-5. The decision would come down to a tiebreaker that also went back and forth. Alabama was ahead 5-3, before Northwestern won five of the last six games, giving the Wildcats the 1-0 lead heading into singles.

Northwestern collected the first point in singles with a victory on court six as freshman Nikhil Jayashankar came back from a 2-0 deficit in the first set to take the match 6-3, 6-0 over Vieyra. Botha awarded the Tide its first point of the match with a 7-6(3), 6-3 victory on court one over Balaji. After going neck-and-neck through the first set, Botha dominated the tiebreaker and used the momentum to cruise to a 5-0 lead in the second set. Balaji was able to pick up three games before Botha closed it out.

The Wildcats would set the score at 3-1 with a win on court four as Smith posted a 6-3, 6-3 decision over Tide senior Vikram Reddy. Next to finish was the matchup on court five with Thompson outlasting Pasareanu, 6-4, 6-4, to give Alabama its second point of the night.

Northwestern clinched the match win on court two in a second-set tiebreaker with Graves topping Doverspike, 6-3, 7-6(3). Action would wrap up on court three in a battle that lasted over two hours, going into a third set. In the end, it would be Proskura pulling out the 6-1, 1-6, 7-5 win over Wolf.

“I sensed our guys were pressing a bit and exhibited some nerves,” added Pate. “We just have to learn to manage that better. I give credit to Northwestern. They played a great match. Though we didn’t show it today, we have a good team, and we’re going to put this behind us and get ready for the next one.”

Next up, Alabama heads to Los Angeles for the 2012 ITA Kick-Off Weekend where it will take on host institution UCLA on Saturday, January 28, at 10 a.m. CT.

RESULTS
Doubles
1. Wolf/Graves (NU) def. Botha/Vieyra (UA) 8-4
2. Doverspike/Thompson (UA) def. Smith/Pasareanu (NU) 8-3
3. Balaji/Reitz (NU) def. No. 21 Proskura/Taborga (UA) 9-8(6)

Order of Finish: 2,1,3

Singles
1. Jarryd Botha (UA) def. Sidarth Balaji (NU) 7-6(3), 6-3
2. Josh Graves (NU) def. Ricky Doverspike (UA) 6-3, 7-6(3)
3. No. 91 Daniil Proskura (UA) def. No. 97 Spencer Wolf (NU) 6-1, 1-6, 7-5
4. Raleigh Smith (NU) def. No. 96 Vikram Reddy (UA) 6-3, 6-3
5. No. 122 Michael Thompson (UA) def. Alex Pasareanu (NU) 6-4, 6-4
6. Nikhil Jayashankar (NU) def. David Vieyra (UA) 6-3, 6-0

Order of Finish: 6,1,4,5,2*,3

- UA -