'Bama Tennis Opens SEC Play at Home Friday
3/1/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
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MATCH NOTES
TUSCALOOSA ?? After starting the season with a tough stretch against four consecutive ranked non-conference foes, Alabama tennis will begin another tough stretch this weekend as Southeastern Conference play finally begins. Head coach Billy Pate's squad will host No. 52 Vanderbilt Friday at 3 p.m. and No. 39 Kentucky Sunday at 1 p.m.
"This weekend starts a new season for us," Pate said. "SEC play is always very competitive. Our goal every year is to do well in our conference and we have a good opportunity to start off conference play on a positive note. Vanderbilt and Kentucky are two good teams and we'll have to come prepared to play."
The Tide's Joseph Jung enters the conference season as the hottest player in the SEC. Jung is 6-0 this spring at No. 1 singles and has the longest dual-match winning streak in the conference at 15. His streak dates back to March 25, 2005. Last year he was 8-4 in SEC play and enters this weekend with a 12-6 overall record. He'll look to continue his streak this weekend and will likely face a pair of ranked opponents in Vanderbilt's Ryan Preston (No. 70) and Kentucky's Alex Hume (No. 100).
In doubles, Alabama seems to have found a pair that works at No. 3. Javier Bes and Billy Mertz are 3-0 together at the No. 3 position, but with conference play starting Pate would like to see more consistency from his doubles line-up as a whole. Pate feels they are close to breaking through as an Alabama duo has won a doubles contest in every match this season. However, not since the season-opener on January 10 has the Tide been able to put two doubles wins together and earn the doubles point.
"Javier and Billy really have come together and played well," Pate said. "We've been trying out different combinations and trying to find something that works for us. Certainly, if they continue to win we'll keep them together."
Vanderbilt (5-3) will enter Friday's match ranked just one spot ahead of Alabama in the latest Fila/ITA rankings. The Commodores have lost two in a row and are 0-3 against ranked teams this season. Preston is the Vandy's highest ranked singles player at No. 70. He's 13-5 on the year and has won five of six this spring at No. 1 singles. Meanwhile, Andy Mack has played mostly at No. 3 singles for Vandy and is ranked at No. 90.
Kentucky (5-3) is an NCAA tournament team from a year ago and has won three of its last four matches. The Wildcats are led by Hume, who carries a nine-match winning streak of his own into this weekend's action. Last week Hume earned a big win by knocking off No. 4 Lars Poerschke of Baylor in straight sets.
Weather permitting, both matches are scheduled to be played outdoors at the Alabama Tennis Complex and will be the Tide's first outdoor home matches this season. Alabama began the season by winning its first three home matches, including an upset win over Oklahoma, but has dropped its last two at home to Michigan and Georgia Tech.
The first fans through the gate for Friday afternoon's match will receive a limited number of special edition Alabama Tennis t-shirts.
