Net News - March 24
3/24/2017 9:57:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Happy Spring Everyone,
Great weather this week has had many of us scratching our heads and wishing that the sun was shining during Spring Break instead of now. Â In any event, we will take it and Spring is officially underway. Â
The Tide spent the tail end of their 'vacation' at home hosting a trio of opponents in Texas A&M, LSU and Troy.  Friday, which featured an International Night promotion, brought a tough customer from College Station in the 11th-ranked Aggies.  The courts were dressed with flags of all Bama players who hail from a total of seven countries - United States, Egypt, Mexico, China, France, Russia and the Netherlands.  We got the ball rolling well in doubles, with Mazen and Spencer picking up another ranked win at the #1 position.  We were neck and neck at lines 2 and 3 with the roommate combos of Alexey/Thibault and Edson/Zhe.  A couple of late service breaks by A&M pushed the visitors ahead to stay and gave them an early 1–0 match lead. Our guys did the right things and made all the right moves in these tight matches.  Volley execution and put away opportunities were critical factors that cost us.  On the singles end, we had plenty of tight first sets and matches overall.  It would be too tough to capture four singles victories, however, and Texas A&M came away with a solid win.  They then used that performance to upset 2nd-ranked Ohio State just two days later.
"Don't watch the clock, do what it does, keep going." This was the quote of the week and we carried that theme into our practice session on Saturday and doubleheader on Sunday.  The guys had all trained hard to prepare for the weekend and there wasn't a player, coach, trainer, administrator or Bama fan at the tennis facility that didn't want to see a four pop up for the home team.  The Tigers had started the season slow but in recent weeks had noticeably improved with some tight 4-3 results and an upset victory over #27 Vanderbilt.  Our most recent head-to-head matches (three consecutive 4-3 scores…two won by Bama & one by LSU) indicated that this afternoon promised to be a barnburner…and indeed it was.  Mazen and Spencer were once again first to get the momentum started with a solid 6-4 victory at the top spot.  While Edson and Zhe were on serve at #3, Alexey and Thibault clinched the doubles point for the Tide and there seemed to be a sense of relief and giddiness in the air.  We had not started the singles with the lead in quite some time so the locker room was filled with smiles and also some extra energy heading into the rest of the match.
The crowd, which was largely filled with many families celebrating Spring Kids Day, watched Bama shoot out of the gates quickly and capture first sets on all six singles courts. Â While several kids made their way down from the stands to the bounce house and free pizza, the Tigers began to mount a comeback. Â It was bound to happen just the way it did in the last three contests. Â And as the saying goes, "it's not how you start, it's how you finish." Â One by one, LSU got a little closer on court 1, winning the second set, and then did the same on courts 2, 4 and 5. Â Zhe squeezed out his second set which gave us a 2-0 lead and then Edson tallied another point for Bama with a dominant closing out of his opponent. Â Bama 3, LSU 0. Â
But now things got interesting.  Spencer fell in three sets on court 5…Bama 3, LSU 1.  Mazen's opponent had battled back from a 2-5 deficit, while both Thibault and Alexey were down breaks 3-5 and 4-5 respectively.  Wow, how quickly things started to turn.  The team was vocal as were our Bayou buddies, but our guys dug their heels in the ground and made quite a stand.  Alexey reeled off three consecutive games to clinch the match for Bama, and moments later, Mazen grabbed a pair of games to win his match.  The last man standing was our kick boxer and ukulele player, Thibault.  The French freshman won his last four games to make it three straight 7-5 in the third set wins and Alabama captured a solid 6-1 victory.  Match Bama, Roll Tide!
What a great feeling and certainly well deserved. Â MVP/Game ball honors went to each player as did our Spirit award, as this was a full team effort and an exciting one at that. Â The day, however, was not over. Â Troy had been a late addition to the schedule and the 2015 Sun Belt champions arrived in Tuscaloosa with an upset in mind.
Doubles kicked off with great energy from both teams. Â Senior southpaw Ritchie Kruunenberg teamed with Spencer at the top position as Mazen had suffered a strained groin at the end of his singles match against the Tigers. Â Edson and Zhe used solid returns and net movement to nab a win at #3 and push Bama close to another doubles point. Â After Alexey and Thibault were upset at #2, the Tide and Trojans found themselves in a deciding tiebreaker at the top spot. Â Ritchie and Richey (as in Spencer Richey) played flawlessly, capturing the TB 7-1 and pushed the home team ahead 1-0 as an incredible sunset appeared in the west. Â Mazen sat out of singles as well but cheered on his teammates passionately from the sidelines. Â Matches were very close, and again, there were no gifts given on this day. Â Troy didn't travel up to Tuscaloosa for a courtesy call. Â They came to battle like Trojans and were not going to be denied any opportunities. Â Our guys dug deep and gave nothing away. They seemed to play stronger as the match grew longer, and one by one, they put points on the board. Â Thibault was first at the top singles position and then Zhe followed pushing us within a point of a doubleheader victory. Â Spencer was up a set but down 2-5 in his tiebreaker. Â That didn't stop the Memphis native as he reeled off five straight points and closed out the competition on Sunday. Â Alabama 4, Troy 1. Â Match Bama, Roll Tide!
What a day and what a night. Â Two tremendous challenges and the guys were up to the task. Â Ritchie K. was voted MVP of the match for stepping up big time in his doubles match, while the coaches felt the team once again provided the spirit throughout the contest. Â After singing "Yeah Alabama" in the locker room and several players took ice baths, the team celebrated the day with burgers, fries, onion rings and shakes at Burgerfi. Â A well-deserved meal for a pair of very-well-deserved wins.
Now we're back on the road after a solid week of training in preparation for the Dawgs…Georgia that is.  We play this Saturday, March 25 at 5pm EST in Athens.  It's our only match of the weekend so if you're in the area, please join us for the fight.  If not, then catch us online at georgiadogs.com as live video and stats will be available.  If you missed reading about one of our newbies, Alexey Nesterov, here are some things you may not have known about our freshman from Moscow…
ALEXEY NESTEROV
Q: What was your first visit to campus like?
A:Â Â It was great. I really liked the facilities, the coaches and the guys on the team. Â
Q: What surprised you most about Alabama?
A:Â To be honest, I didn't know much about the University before visiting it so I was surprised when someone told me that Alabama's football team was No. 1 in the country.
Q: What is your favorite thing about your hometown?
A:Â My favorite thing about Moscow is that my family lives there.
Q: What is your favorite restaurant in Tuscaloosa?
A:Â Â River.
Q: What is your favorite tennis memory?
A:Â When I won the nationals 16u in 2014.
Q: Who inspired you most in tennis?
A:Â My grandmother inspires me the most. She was the Olympic champion in speed skating in 1960. Because her accomplishment I have always been dreaming about competing in the Olympic games.
Q: When did playing tennis in college become a goal for you?
A:Â In 2015, when I realized how good college tennis is in the United States. Â
Q: What song pumps you up to play?
A:Â Here Comes the Boom by Nelly.
Q: What is your favorite movie made before you were born?
A:Â Forrest Gump.
Q: What is your favorite movie?
A:Â The Dark Knight.
Q: What is your dream job?
A:Â I am dreaming about playing professional tennis.
Q: If you could live in a book, which book would you live in?
A:Â Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
Q: What is your favorite hobby outside of tennis?
A:Â Soccer.
Q: If you could meet any person in the world who would it be?
A:Â Steph Curry.
Q: If you were playing a pro circuit what grand slam would you want to win most?
A:Â Â Roland Garros.
Q: What do you like to hear from fans when they are cheering for you?
A:Â 'Davai Lo'sha' which means 'Let's go Alexey' in Russian.
Q: What are some goals you look to achieve this spring season?
A: Â To make the NCAA tournament.
Q: If you weren't playing tennis what sport would you play?
A:Â I would play soccer.
Q: Who would win an arm wrestling competition on the team?
A:Â Me! Â
Q: What is your favorite holiday?
A:Â New Year's Eve.
Q: If you could give one message to your fans what would it be?
A:Â Come watch us play, we need your support! Roll Tide!
Join us back at home next Thursday, March 30 as we host the Gators of Florida at 6pm.  FREE Taco Mama will once again be served to all fans.  We then will celebrate our seniors, Hayes Brewer and Ritchie Kruunenberg, on Saturday, April 1 as we host South Carolina at 1pm and Jackson State at 6pm.  Until then, don't watch the clock.  Do what it does, keep going…and come out to the courts. Â
Roll Tide!
George
Players Mentioned
