Women's Tennis Hosting Roberta Alison Fall Classic This Weekend
9/24/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
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The University of Alabama women’s tennis team will host the 17th annual Roberta Alison Classic this weekend in Tuscaloosa. A total of ten teams will be in competition beginning Friday at 8 a.m.
“I think our team always looks forward to the Roberta Alison Fall Classic,” UA head coach Jenny Mainz said. “It always has a strong field and I feel like it has a strong field again this year.”
The teams scheduled to participate are Alabama, Auburn, Auburn-Montgomery, Arkansas State, Houston, Louisiana-Monroe, Louisville, Mississippi State, South Alabama and UAB. The tournament will consist of seven singles flights and three or four doubles flights. Each player is guaranteed three singles and three doubles matches. It will mark the first tournament of the fall season for the Crimson Tide.
Alabama has four players returning from last year’s NCAA regional final team as well as six new freshmen. Junior Millie Begovic and freshman Robin Stephenson are pre-season ranked 39th in the nation in doubles. Last season Begovic teamed with Weyli Chang to finish 42nd in the nation and earn a trip to the NCAA Doubles Championships.
“With six new freshmen it is exciting to have the first tournament at home,” Mainz said. “Our goals are to get more match play and gain more experience. It also is a evaluation time. The fall is a building phase to get ready for the dual match season in January. It also lets us identify who works well together on the doubles court.”
Matches will begin at 8 a.m. from Friday until Sunday. Following the Roberta Alison Fall Classic, Alabama will travel to Providence, Rhode Island, for the Brown Invitational on October 4-6.
