Alabama Men's Tennis Opens Season on Saturday
2/6/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The 18th-ranked University of Alabama (0-0) opens its regular season Saturday with a pair of matches, taking on Troy State (0-2, @ 9 a.m.) and Furman (0-1, @ 3 p.m.) at the UA Hank Crisp Indoor Facility on Saturday.
"Both teams present a good challenge for us," Alabama head coach Billy Pate said. "They will look at this as a chance to play a Top 20 team and I'm sure we'll get their best effort.
"We'll have to be on top of our game to get the results we want. We're still trying to figure out the doubles lineups that we'll play throughout the spring, and that will present a challenge. Furman has always been exceptionally good at doubles. Coach (Paul) Scarpa does a fantastic job with that and I know they'll be prepared. Likewise, Coach Eric Hays does an excellent job at Troy State and they will be very intense and competitive matches."
The Crimson Tide has been victorious in its past three season-openers, and holds a 6-0 all-time series records against the Trojans. Bama has only one loss in eight matches versus Furman.
Pate heads into his second season on the Capstone with a 19-10 record and an appearance in the NCAA Sweet 16 in his first season. Pate is the Tide's 15th head coach in the program's 55 years.
