Alabama
LSU
No. 20 Alabama Men’s Tennis Opens Conference Slate Against No. 18 LSU and Texas A&M
2/28/2019 10:20:00 AM | Men's Tennis
The Crimson Tide will face the Tigers Friday at 6 p.m. CT and will battle the Aggies Sunday at 12 p.m. CT
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The No. 20 Alabama men's tennis team opens Southeastern Conference play with a pair of weekend matches when it welcomes No. 18 LSU on Friday at 6 p.m. CT, followed by Texas A&M on Sunday at 12 p.m. CT. Both contests will be streamed on RollTide.com and will be played at the Alabama Tennis Stadium. Admission is free for all fans.
The Crimson Tide welcomes the UA Engineering Department to Friday's contest for a robotics display.
Before Sunday's match a kid's clinic will take place in promotion of Net Generation Day. Sunday's match also marks Friends of Alabama Tennis Day, where CRC Cookout will be provided.
Alabama (10-2) enters the weekend at No. 20 in the latest Oracle/ITA National Team Rankings. The Crimson Tide wrapped up competition at the 71st playing of the Blue Gray National Tennis Classic last weekend in Montgomery, Ala. and registered a 2-1 mark. Alabama took down Fresno State, 4-1, in round one, but fell to Ole Miss, 4-2, in round two, and finished with a 4-1 victory over Texas Tech, in round three.
Senior No. 32 Mazen Osama leads Alabama with a 7-4 mark in dual play at No. 1, while junior Edson Ortiz has turned in a perfect 10-0 record this spring. In doubles, sophomore Patrick Kaukovalta and Osama have emerged as the Tide's top tandem, sporting a 6-2 record at No. 1. In addition, junior Zhe Zhou and Ortiz boast a 6-2 record in doubles.
Friday's match against No. 18 LSU (11-1) marks the 62nd meeting in history, between the two squads. The Tigers lead the series 37-24, Alabama fell short in last year's match played on March 9, 2018 in Baton Rouge, La., 4-3. The Tigers are a perfect 4-0 in away matches and registered the only loss of the season at home to Penn State on Jan. 27, 2-4. Individually, Malik Bhatnagar leads the Tigers with a 10-1 record in the dual season, and senior Shane Monroe posts a 6-3 record on court one.
Texas A&M and Alabama will meet for the 15th time in program history, as the Crimson Tide seeks its first victory over the Aggies. Alabama trails the series 14-0, after facing the Aggies twice last season, the most recent at NCAA Championship on May 18, 2018, when the Tide fell, 4-0. The Aggies were picked to finish fourth in the SEC Preseason Coaches Poll, and currently stand with a 6-3 record.
Get all the latest information on the team by following AlabamaMTN on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. General athletic news can also be found at UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and Alabama Athletics on Facebook.
Players Mentioned
