Net News - Jan. 26
1/26/2017 10:13:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Roll Tide from Tuscaloosa,
We're back from the Sunshine State without much time to spare before departing for the Peach State (Georgia) this week.  Our trip to Orlando and the USTA National Campus was eye-opening and a good experience for those on our squad and in the Lake Nona community.  While we didn't see Mickey, Donald or Goofy, we did see 1,000+ fans fill the seats for the inaugural College Matchday contest against Michigan.  We also saw television cameras for the ESPN3 broadcast, 100 courts at the USTA facility, plenty of smiles on the faces of the USTA staff and beautiful sunsets each night.  There were some nerves on both sides of the net as the 'lights, camera, action' impacted some players and the experienced served as a great learning tool moving forward into our season.  Michigan was the better team on that Saturday night so we learned from it and will improve…and as Jay Z would say "Onto the next one."
This week has been focused on preparing for the ITA National Indoor Kickoff taking place this weekend. Â There are 15 regional qualifying events played on both the men's and women's side, with four teams competing in each regional. We are headed to Athens as the Georgia Bulldogs host Bama, Washington and Purdue. Â The winners of the single-elimination event advance to next month's ITA Division I National Team Indoor Championships at Virginia (Men) and Yale (Women). Â Host sites for Kick-Off Weekend were determined using the final 2015-16 Oracle/ITA Collegiate Tennis Rankings. A draft was held to fill the No.'s 2-4 seeds at all locations, again using the final national team rankings as a guide to determine draft order.
Opening round contests at each location pits the No. 1 seed (Georgia) versus the No. 4 seed (Purdue), and the No. 2 seed (Bama) against the No. 3 seed (Washington). The two winners advance to the championship match, while the two losing teams will square off in a consolation match.  So there's an incredible opportunity for us to qualify for a national event, but more importantly, another shot to simply, #getbetter.
There are going to be many exciting moments for our young squad as we gain confidence and experience throughout the season.  And it starts this weekend.  The Huskies are a great challenge for us as they have experienced players and come off a season where they defeated two very good programs in USC and Texas.  Georgia and Purdue are also very good teams, but for now it's all about the purple and gold, and more importantly, the Crimson and White.  Speaking of which, here's an introduction to one of the newest members of the squad…
EDSON ORTIZ
Year/Major? Â Freshman, Business major
Hometown? Chihuahua, Mexico
At what age did you start playing tennis? Â 4 years old
Did your parents or siblings play tennis? Â My brother and mother played tennis which got me going in the sport.
How many brothers and sisters do you have? Â 1 older brother, Jorge, is 22.
How old were you when you won your first tennis tournament? Â 6 years old playing in an event in my hometown of Chihuahua.
Have you ever played in any of the major tennis tournaments at a junior level? None of the grand slams but the Grade A ITF Championship in Mexico City was the biggest.  This year world junior #1 Miomir Kecmanovic won the tournament.
Who is your favorite pro tennis player?  Roger (Federer) of course!
Have you ever played against a Top-20 pro player?  I have not played against any but have practiced several times with Tommy Robredo (#5 ATP high) and Max Myrni (#18 ATP high).
How many countries have you traveled to and which is your favorite?  I've traveled to 10 or more countries and Spain is definitely my favorite.
What was your favorite toy or your favorite game as a child? Â Super Smash Bros.Â
What was your favorite food as a child and what is it now? Â Tacos, tacos and more tacos.
What is your favorite musical group or artist? Â Radiohead.
What is your favorite song? Â High & Dry by Radiohead.
Favorite part about Alabama thus far?  The tennis program…of course!
Mark your calendars for next Friday and Sunday, February 3rd and 5th as the Crimson Tide return home for a pair of great matches. Â First on Friday, the Red Raiders of Texas Tech visit the Roberta Alison Baumgardner Indoor Tennis Facility under the guidance of close friend and former assistant coach of mine (at Santa Clara University), Brett Masi. Â Tech is coming off of their best season in program history, sharing the regular season Big 12 title and reaching a final national team ranking high of #11. We will honor men and women on campus and in the Tuscaloosa community serving our country in a "Bama Salute Night" as well as give special recognition to cadets and officers from Alabama Army ROTC. Â FREE Taco Mama will be served for all fans.
On Sunday, Clemson will roar into town, without Deshaun Watson, but with a new coaching staff in former Clemson players John Boetsch (head) and Ryan Young (assistant). Â They will offer a new look and feel as well as provide us with a challenging day at the office. Â Sunday is also Bama Tennis Kids Day. Â We will have a bounce house on site, FREE pizza for kids and special gift bags for our young Bama Tennis fans.
So onward we go to Athens to face the UW Huskies in a Friday morning shootout. Â Grab a coffee at Jittery Joe's in downtown Athens and cruise over to the Dan Magill Tennis Complex to work off that caffeine and cheer on the Tide. Â Live scoring will be in full effect for those of you who can't make the trip. Â Let's go Bama!
Roll Tide,
George
