Alabama
Tennessee
Alabama Men's Tennis Top Tennessee, 5-2
3/11/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- The Alabama men's tennis team earned its second Southeastern Conference victory of the season on Friday when it beat Tennessee, 5-2, at the Roberta Alison Baumgardner Tennis Facility. With the win, the Crimson Tide moves to 10-6 overall and 2-1 in league play, while the loss drops brings the Volunteers' to a season mark of 6-7 and 0-3 against SEC opponents.
"That was a very gritty win tonight for the guys," said Alabama head coach George Husack. "We started slow in doubles and Tennessee took advantage. We responded well in singles but moving indoors definitely sparked the intensity and energy to another level."
Following a 30 minute delay to the start of the match due to weather, Alabama and Tennessee took the courts to begin doubles. All three remained on serve until the Vols' pair at No. 3 of freshmen Srdjan Jakovljevic and Timo Stodder broke to go up 3-1 and carried that lead through, en route to a 6-3 win over Tide sophomore Matthew Rossouw and freshman Spencer Richey. From there it came down to the wire, but Tennessee sophomore Preston Touliatos and freshman Jack Heslin would claim the final two games on court two to win 7-5 over Alabama senior Becker O'Shaughnessey and sophomore Grayson Goldin. The match on court one was suspended at 5-5 between Vol sophomore Luis Valero and junior Jack Schipanski, ranked 20th, and Tide sophomore Korey Lovett and freshman Mazen Osama, the No. 42 team in the nation.
Singles play began outside, but after a few minutes it was halted due to another front moving through the area. There was a 20-minute pause in the action before matches were moved indoors.
Alabama struck first in singles as a 6-2, 6-4 victory for No. 62 Osama over Valero evened the match, but Tennessee would take the lead back moments later when Jakovljevic held on for the 6-2, 6-4 win on court four against Richey. That would be the final lead for the Vols, however, as Alabama won the remaining four singles matchups.
Rossouw was next to tack on a point for the Tide, overcoming a second-set deficit to send his match into a tiebreaker after claiming the first, 6-3, over Heslin. The Alabama sophomore made quick work of Heslin in the breaker, jumping out to a 5-0 lead. The Tennessee rookie would win three points, but it was Rossouw who got to seven first to take the match, 6-3, 7-6(3). The Tide's third point came all the way across the indoor when Goldin ousted Touliatos, 7-5, 7-5, in front of a boisterous crowd on court five to give Alabama its first lead of the match at 3-2. As Goldin was closing out next door, O'Shaughnessey would begin the second of three tiebreakers in the match. The lone Tide senior delivered big, clinching the team W with a 6-2, 7-6(2) victory over Schipanski at the No. 3 spot.
The matchup on court two would play out, allowing Alabama to get another point as Lovett, ranked No. 81, overcame a first set loss to come back and beat Stodder in 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 fashion to cap off the night.
"The Vols are tough," added Husack. "We've had one win over them in the last 10 years, so tonight is special. Back to work tomorrow, however, with all focus on preparing for another battle Sunday."
Alabama continues its homestand on Sunday when it hosts Kentucky and The Citadel in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. CT.
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