Net News, Volume 11
3/11/2022 11:07:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Home Sweet Home!
In 1939, actress Judy Garland as Dorothy in the classic film Wizard of Oz clicked her heels together and said "there's no place like home." While Dorothy hoped for a return to the comforts of her own bed, we returned from a trio of road trips that took us to both Norman and Tulsa, Oklahoma, Montgomery, Alabama, and Lexington, Kentucky. We are excited to be back on campus after more than a month since our last home match and looking forward to celebrating the spring season with all of you. In fact, we will have eight matches over the next five weekends, which includes six from the SEC and a pair of non-conference contests. Today is Ole Miss-Alabama part 2 which begins at an earlier time with first serves struck at 4 p.m. instead of the traditional 6 p.m. due to inclement weather moving into the area. We battled the Rebels in Oxford back on January 22, dropping a tight 4-3 decision indoors and hope with the earlier start we can remain outside for today's thriller. We have a few promotions and giveaways over the next five weeks which I've detailed below:
- Friday, March 11 @ 4 p.m. vs. Ole Miss – FREE Pizza for all fans
- Sunday, March 20 @ 1 p.m. vs. LSU, 5 p.m. vs. Drake – FREE Sunshine & Tennis Action for all fans
- Friday, April 1 @ 6 p.m. vs. Texas A&M – Family Night with FREE Whataburger and other games/prizes for all fans
- Sunday, April 3 @ 1 p.m. vs. Arkansas, 5 p.m. vs. Tennessee Tech – Crimson Racket Club Grill Out & FREE Alabama Tennis pint glass giveaway
- Sunday, April 10 @ 1 p.m. vs. South Carolina – Senior Day and Crimson Racket Club Grill Out
In addition to the home matches listed above, we will also be on the road for SEC matches at Auburn (Sun, Mar 13), Mississippi State (Fri, Mar 25), Vanderbilt (Sun, Mar 27), Tennessee (Fri, Apr 15) and Georgia (Sun, Apr 17). The season culminates at the SEC Men's Tennis Championships, April 20-24, in Athens, Georgia, as the Bulldogs serve as host for this annual event.
While we have found ourselves improving throughout the spring, one may not see the direct impact of this progress in the win/loss column. We have had opportunities each weekend and been well prepared for the matches. Our youthful squad has faced the challenges and kept competing to the best of their ability. As the saying goes, "success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts." The will of our players has not been broken and their support of one another has grown stronger. One example lies with the return of senior Patrick Kaukovalta to the singles and doubles lineup. Our fifth year Finn has been hobbled by a nagging injury that limited his production and ability to compete both in the late fall and early months of 2022. He has spent countless hours rehabbing and strengthening his body for a return to competition as well as dedicated many hours on court with his team in practice, at dual matches, in the gym and the locker room. So while his stat sheet isn't filled with a plethora of numbers, Patrick's impact to his team has been invaluable. Kiitos ja onnea PK!
So come on out to the Alabama Tennis Stadium and join us for some exciting tennis action. For those that haven't seen the new kids on the block compete, I believe you'll be impressed by their tenacity, talents and spirit. And in case you don't remember their names or friendly monikers as given by Alan Cunningham, the men's tennis PA, here's a quick rundown…Patrick "Flying Finn" Kaukovalta, Juan "El Gaucho" Martin, Rudi "Speedy Gonzalez" Christiansen, Joao "Sertanejo Man" Ferreira, Enzo "The Bull Shark" Aguiard, Zach "Sunshine" Foster, Filip "The King" Planinsek and German "Akula" Samofalov. The "Great 8" becoming better and greater everyday.
Roll Tide,
George
Players Mentioned
