Net News - March 11
3/11/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Hello from Tuscaloosa,
We're back at home after a long hiatus on the road and as Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz said, "There's no place like home. There's no place like home." Being back on campus training and preparing for a full slate of tennis on our courts is exciting, and we are all looking forward to the opportunity.
Last weekend the main event began, and that was the start of the SEC season. Twelve matches, six at home and six on the road, spread out over a seven-week period and filled with tremendous passion, determination and rivalry. There will be lots of ground covered on the road by planes, buses, vans and cars (no trains, ha ha) with a hopeful outpouring of crowd support walking through the gates at the Alabama Tennis Stadium. I recall my first season traveling to many new places as an SEC rookie, and while I know a few more things about the competition, campuses and teams, the SEC is still an incredible conference and the best in the country.
We began our journey in Columbia, South Carolina last Friday. Many thanks to Coach Stuart Kenyon who filled in for me as I attended my father's memorial service a couple thousand miles away in California. We were introduced to another feisty Gamecock crowd highlighted by former players in town for an alumni reunion. So you can imagine the crowing the Crimson Tide heard from the seats above all the courts. Let's just say that it wasn't a supportive advantage for us, which was good and important for us to experience (especially our new guys). We did a outstanding job of staying focused and grabbed the doubles point, which in turn silenced the crowd a bit.
The Gamecocks came out flapping their wings during singles and really took it to us. They grabbed a quick win at No. 4 singles and the match was tied at 1-1. We were able to hang tough and were led by sophomore Matthew Rossouw who chipped, charged, sliced, served and volleyed his way to an impressive 6-2, 6-2 win. Senior captain Becker O'Shaughnessey was slow out of the gate but reversed a 2-5 first set deficit and won 11 out of the next 13 games en route to a 7-5, 6-2 victory. The Gamecocks pecked away at No. 5 singles and added a point to their total making it a 3-2 Bama lead. All eyes turned to No. 1 and No. 2 singles where sophomore Korey Lovett had started a thirrd set and freshman Mazen Osama inched his way towards the finish line. After trading breaks of serve a couple of times in the second set, our Cairo native clinched the match with a 6-4, 7-5 win. He proudly wrapped an Egyptian flag around his body, which was given to him earlier in the day. Not to be outdone, Korey finished strong and capped off the 5-2 dual win with a solid three-set victory. Match Bama!
Down the highway we traveled to Athens, Georgia, the Mecca of college tennis. I'd say it's similar to Omaha for baseball and Wembley Stadium for soccer in terms of how one would associate a place with a championship. The University of Georgia used to be the last stop of the season each and every year until the NCAA decided to open up the bidding process for the spring team and individual outdoor championships. I met up with the team that morning after a red-eye flight and pounded some coffee that added to the adrenaline rush of match day. The Bulldogs were talented and deep, but I felt that we could go toe-to-toe with them. A great crowd was on hand to watch and cheer the home and visiting team on. Yes, visiting, as we were treated to a bus load of Bama and Becker fans from Macon, Georgia. Idle Hour Country Club Director of Tennis, Craig Jones, Becker's private coach, once again organized their Mecca journey to watch and cheer us on. Thanks and Roll Tide Craig!
We let the doubles point slip away with a few costly errors down the stretch giving the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead. We came out in singles playing pretty well but dropped a couple of matches on courts where UGA simply played lights out. Facing a 0-3 climb, we chipped away the best we could. Mazen was up a set and striking the ball very well. Freshman Spencer Richey was up a set and energizing the No. 4-6 bank of courts with aggressive play, transition points and plenty of "Come On!" and "Let's Go Tide!" cheers. In fact, many fans flocked to his court to witness our Memphis energy bus do his thing. Matthew was also doing his thing and quickly heading into a third set of more chip, charge and close volley. And Grayson was getting his groove back sprinting out to a second set lead after dropping the first. So, while things appeared grim with the team score, the match was far from over.
Each player battled and gave themselves opportunities to win points, games, sets and matches. The Bulldogs did the same and dug their feet in the ground. They were ready and the tennis was great. We ended up dropping a tight one at No. 4 singles and an even closer one at No. 6. Mazen recorded a point for Bama as he defeated his childhood nemesis for the first time in his career. Spencer dropped a close second set and then played a 10-pointer for the third since Georgia had clinched the match. So while the score may not have been indicative of how close the matches were at some spots, the bottom line is that the Bulldogs were the better team and deserved their win. Back to work!
We've had a good week of practice and hope to be outside competing all weekend long though Mother Nature may serve as a chair umpire. Friday night we host the Tennessee Volunteers at 5 p.m. as we celebrate Faculty/Staff Night and our incredible Tina Thomas as she hits the ceremonial first serve. Sunday the Kentucky Wildcats come to town for a 1 p.m. match and then we play The Citadel at 5 p.m. I know it's the start of Spring Break, and I hope the vacations don't start until you come by the courts this weekend. As I said earlier, "There's no place like home," and I can't wait to get the weekend rolling ... in person, because online scoring, like I experienced while the team played the Gamecocks, is nerve racking and "for the birds."
Roll Tide, George
Players Mentioned
