Net News - March 25
3/25/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Happy Easter & Iron Bowl Weekend,
We're back from Louisiana/Texas and ready for a fantastic weekend of tennis here in Tuscaloosa. It all gets started with our in-state rivals and ends with our friends from the swamp. Tonight should be a very festive evening as we have a slew of things happening for our 5 p.m. showdown with Auburn. The Crimson Racket Club hosts 1 of 2 cookouts this season beginning at 430 p.m. (cookout No. 2 is Sun., April 17 vs. Vanderbilt). Chief BBQ extraordinaires, David Ford and Alan Cunningham, will serve up food from the grill to all of our fans. We will have FREE Alabama Tennis seat cushions and a special, honorary first serve hit by Coach Avery Johnson. Oh yeah, there's also a tennis match at 5 p.m. ... Go Bama!
On Easter Sunday, the Gators of Florida crawl their way to the courts for a 1 p.m. contest on what hopes to be the last match we play on Easter. This fall, the SEC coaches decided that not only would it be nice to have a free weekend during the season, but also be able to spend this special time with family. Hanging out with the team and fans on this day is a good thing, but we just can't miss those special egg hunts. So, when you're finished with your Easter activities this Sunday, hop on over to the courts for the match.
Back to the Bayou and the battle that took place at LSU last Friday. It was a quick and energetic start against the Tigers as we jumped out to a 1-0 lead after doubles play. Thunderstorms forced action inside to the newly opened indoor tennis facility. In fact, it was the first dual match inside for both Alabama and LSU on their home turf. It was also the first match after a long home weekend against Tennessee, Kentucky and The Citadel, which included a couple of days off to start off the Spring Break. In my previous 20 seasons of coaching, the dual match after the start of Spring Break is always the toughest. While the homework and backpacks have been put away, the desire to chill and relax during this time can have an impact especially when on the road. Well, we were able to get the job done and as I said in the post-match quote, "The engine light was on, and we had a choice - either stop or keep going until the engine could no longer run." And that we did.
Freshman Spencer Richey and sophomore Korey Lovett put the Crimson Tide up 3-0 after convincing straight set victories. It was noteworthy for Korey as he dropped a tough 7-5, 7-5 match last year to the same opponent (Jordan Daigle) in Tuscaloosa as Bama went down 4-3 to LSU. This time around, facing similar scoring conditions as last season, Korey closed out the first set with smart serving much like a veteran pitcher on the mound. Daigle rolled his ankle in the second set but that did not stop Korey from keeping the pressure on full throttle. Point Bama!
Like in every match against the Tigers, they are never going to lay down. Down 0-3, they captured wins on courts 5 and 3 to trim the lead. Mazen Osama was in a battle at No. 2 while Danny Kerznerman was headed into a third set. Two years prior, we had faced a similar situation with a 3-2 lead and two matches left on. Back then it came down to former player and current undergraduate assistant coach Stuart Kenyon, who clinched his wild three-setter for the Bama victory. This time it didn't come down to the last match as Mazen used some big groundstrokes and delicate drop shots to clinch the match for the Tide. A few minutes later, LSU grabbed their final point at No. 6 singles when Danny fell 6-4 in the third and final set. Match Bama!
After a quick traditional victory dinner at Voodoo Grill & BBQ, we headed back to the hotel to pack our bags and sleep. An early morning wake-up call was on tap for us as we needed to fly to College Station and get ready for the Aggies. Texas A&M has some of the most impressive facilities in the country. It starts with the now-massive Kyle Field, home to Aggie football, which is the largest stadium in the SEC and fourth largest in the country with enough space for 102,000+ fans. Then there's Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park, home to Aggie baseball, Gilliam Indoor Track & Field stadium, Ellis Field for soccer, the Aggie Softball Complex and the Mitchell Tennis Center, one of the best, if not best, tennis venues in college. All the facilities stand next to each other like the hotels on the Las Vegas strip or rides at Disneyland. It can be a little daunting for a first-time visitor, but in the end the same game is played in these venues, and more specifically at Mitchell, as they are in Tuscaloosa. Same format, distance between lines, ball, rackets, net and points.
The Aggies were coming off a win on Friday over our travel partner, Mississippi State. They were going to be tough customers, but I thought our LSU victory gave us a little extra boost. The conditions were tough - clear but windy and temps were chilly ... full sweats worn by the coaching staff. We came out with a lot of fire, and it paid off again in doubles. Captain Becker O'Shaughnessey and partner Grayson Goldin were the first team to strike with a convincing 6-2 victory at the No. 2 slot. After the Aggies slipped by Spencer and Matthew Rossouw at No. 3, Korey and Mazen shut the door at No. 1 with their second consecutive Top-25 win, which gave us an early 1-0 lead. The Aggies appeared a bit flat, and maybe that would be the theme for their day, but we could never assume.
Singles began, and they definitely had a different strut in their step. While Becker and Matthew won their first sets, and Korey came within a few points of his, the Aggies marched forward quickly on courts 2, 4 and 6. A&M 3, Bama 1. Korey battled back and took his match into a third, well almost as I'll explain in a bit. Both Becker and Matthew dropped their second sets and began their thirds. After a bathroom break and new balls in hand for Korey on court 1, A&M clinched on court 3. This now meant an exchange of balls for Korey as he would play a 10-point tiebreaker in lieu of a third set with used tennis balls. Matthew unfortunately got tripped up at the finish line and dropped his match. A quick start by Aggie sophomore Arthur Renderknech in the breaker led to a big lead and ultimately another victory for the home team. So, opportunities on the table for Bama, but down the stretch Texas A&M proved to be the better team. They still haven't lost a home match there for three years, so it's better luck next time though the next time against the Aggies could come at the SEC Champs ... in Columbia, S.C.
So here we are on a beautiful Friday with a pair of humdingers ahead of us. Tigers tonight at 5 p.m. and Gators in our basket on Sunday at 1 p.m. Coach Battle reminded us this week that as busy as we might be in our lives, to make sure we take time to not only smell the roses, but enjoy the azaleas, cherry trees, dogwoods and especially the people we hold dear. I'm grateful to be surrounded by a super group of young men representing an incredible university in one of the most passionate and supportive towns in the country. Come cheer (for the Tide), eat (tasty BBQ) and sit (on comfy cushions) for as long as you want and know that your support is invaluable to our success. And our success is your success too. Let's ALL do this!
Roll Tide, George
Players Mentioned
