Alabama
Jackson State
Alabama Men’s Tennis Opens the 2018 Season With Doubleheaders on Saturday and Monday
1/12/2018 12:41:00 PM | Men's Tennis
The Crimson Tide will take on Jackson State at 11 a.m. & 4 p.m. on Saturday and then on Monday against UAB at 11 a.m. and The Citadel at 4 p.m.
MATCH INFORMATION
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Date: Saturday (Jan. 13) & Monday (Jan. 15)
Time: 11 a.m. & 4 p.m. (Sat.), 11 a.m. & 4 p.m. (Mon.)
Teams: Alabama (0-0) vs. Jackson State (0-0) (DH, Sat.)
Alabama (0-0) vs. UAB (0-0) (11 a.m., Mon.)
Alabama (0-0) vs. The Citadel (0-2) (4 p.m., Mon.)
Location: Tuscaloosa, Ala. (Roberta Alison Baumgardner Tennis Facility)
Promotions: Big Al's Art Contest, Post-Match Autographs, Free Pizza
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Alabama men's tennis team will open up the 2018 dual match season with a doubleheader against Jackson State on Saturday, Jan. 13 at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., and then on Monday, Jan. 15, against UAB at 11 a.m. and versus The Citadel at 4 p.m., inside the Roberta Alison Baumgardner Tennis Facility in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Alabama is 4-1 in season openers under head coach George Husack and will look to continue its momentum from the fall season. The talented squad returns five players and welcomes in five freshmen.
Junior Mazen Osama will lead the Tide after spending the summer and fall in his home country of Egypt playing in professional tournaments. Osama is coming off a stellar season in which he was selected to the All-SEC First Team and the 2017 ITA South Region Player to Watch. The Cairo, Egypt, native finished last season ranked No. 29 in the country after posting a 19-13 singles record.
The Crimson Tide also returns a strong quartet of sophomores in Thibault Cancel, Alexey Nesterov, Edson Ortiz, and Zhe Zhou. Cancel was ranked No. 72 in the ITA Preseason Singles Rankings in the fall.
For the first time in program history, Alabama will take on Jackson State simultaneously with the Alabama women's tennis team on Saturday.
"Opening day is always special," said head coach George Husack. "No more dress rehearsals as it's showtime. And to have both teams play at the same time is even more exciting. It is going to be a lot of fun and a unique experience for our players and fans. Energy and excitement delivered from sunrise to sunset."
Jackson State finished last season with an 8-20 record, while UAB ended its season at 10-12 before falling to Old Dominion in the opening round of the Conference USA Tournament last April. Meanwhile, The Citadel has already begun its 2018 season with a doubleheader against Georgia Tech on Jan. 9, falling in both matches, 7-0.
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Players Mentioned
