Alabama
Auburn, Florida, Vanderbilt, Ole Miss
Jeremy Gschwendtner and Alabama Men’s Tennis are Ready to Roll This Weekend
10/1/2020 2:25:00 PM | Men's Tennis
The Crimson Tide men’s tennis squad is headed to Auburn, Ala., for the Tiger Fall Invitational to kick off the fall season
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – When Jeremy Gschwendtner and his Alabama men's tennis teammates walked off the court with a 4-3 win over Vanderbilt on March 8, they didn't know that was the last match they'd play last spring. Their season, and collegiate sports in general, came to an abrupt end just days later due to the Corona Virus pandemic.
"It was really weird," Gschwendtner said. "We played Vanderbilt and were really just getting into SEC play and it ended out of nowhere."
With the season suddenly done, Gschwendtner didn't know if he'd have the opportunity to swing a racquet for the Crimson Tide ever again, but the news on that front turned out to be very good.
"To be honest, I had a really good feeling that I was going to be able to play again," Gschwendtner said. "I was a little worried it might not happen, but I was pretty hopeful. I was a little surprised they gave everyone the year back, but it was the right thing and the best thing to do."
After 10 weeks at home over a summer that included online classes and tennis practice, the London, England, native was excited to get back to Tuscaloosa and begin training with his teammates. That return to campus and practice, like most everything else about this fall, looked a little different.
"It definitely felt different, it was weird," Gschwendtner said. "We weren't sure how it was going to go with all of the new rules in place. Even now, normally every day practice is the whole team together, but right now we are split into two or three groups, but getting started this fall, it was just great to see everyone again because it had been like 4-6 months."
Now, nearly seven months removed from that Sunday win over the Commodores, Gschwendtner, who went 9-5 in dual match competition last season, and his teammates are headed to Auburn, Ala., for the Tiger Fall Invitational at the Yarbrough Tennis Center.
Coincidentally, Alabama was slated to play Auburn the day after the season was shut down last spring.
"For me, competing is the most fun part of what we do, so I am excited to be able to go out there and finally use all we have practiced this fall in a match situation," Gschwendtner said. "It will be fun."
Even the return to competition is different in the time of Covid-19. Normally college teams scatter across the country, sending small groups to a number of different tournaments. This fall the Southeastern Conference squads are going to play three tournaments and keeping all within the conference.
"Playing with the whole team in the fall, again, it's different, but it should be a good atmosphere and I'm looking forward to it," Gschwendtner said. "It's a bit weird, playing just SEC teams, we are going to see the same guys we've seen the past three or four years, we won't see any new faces, but it is better to do that and be safe than not play at all."
Alabama begins play at 2 p.m. Friday and will get things rolling at the same time on Saturday and Sunday as well, facing off against players from Auburn, Florida, Ole Miss and Vanderbilt. Auburn is slated to stream the matches live via AuburnTigers.com. In addition, as long as the matches are played outdoors, spectators will be allowed if they are socially distanced. No spectators will be allowed if the matches move indoors.
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