Net News, Volume 13
4/8/2022 9:26:00 AM | Men's Tennis
The book continues with a chapter ending
Back in 1557, English poet and farmer Thomas Tusser mentioned in his instructional poem, A Hundreth Good Pointes of Husbandrie, that "sweet April showers do spring May flowers." The first part of this statement was certainly seen earlier this week, but I wouldn't necessarily call it sweet after the stunning collection of beautiful days we had last weekend. But as famed, Alabama weather guru James Spann would say, this is typical spring time weather in the South. So we'll see what beauty May brings us in the form of begonias, lobelia, lantana, daffodils, lilacs and tulips.
Another typical thing that happens in April is Senior Day, which is typically the final home match of the regular season where teams honor their graduating players for what they have contributed to the program over their careers. After recognizing 10 seniors last spring, this Sunday we salute graduate student Juan Martin and senior Patrick Kaukovalta. Both players have impacted our program in many ways as well as learned how The University of Alabama has impacted their own lives.
Juan drove in from Fort Worth, Texas, last July 2021 after completing his undergraduate career at TCU. He had a challenging and successful tenure with the Horned Frogs that included sitting out his first 12 months due to NCAA eligibility rules and then the following 24 months due to a pair of hip surgeries. His resilience and commitment to his health and tennis game prevailed, however, leading to an impactful final season as a go-to singles player for the purple and white. He then ventured 600+ miles east to the University of Alabama and worked towards a Master of Science degree in human environmental sciences and a certificate in conflict resolution that he'll receive this May. Some memorable moments for "El Gaucho" include:
- Qualifying and competing in the ITA National Team Indoor Championships in Champaign, Illinois, while a member of TCU. While in the tournament, Juan contributed to four singles wins for the Horned Frogs and a team victory against No. 1-ranked USC.
- The countless hours of rehabilitation spent with medical and athletic training personnel. The hip impingement Juan suffered from in both of his long limbs may have kept him off court for months, but that time away fueled a motivation to get healthy and complete a journey he began in January 2017. When you've had two major surgeries and still have an ability to successfully compete in college, every day spent in the training room is a blessing. And that blessing provided a reward last October as he and freshman Filip Planinsek won the ITA Southern Regional doubles championship and qualified for the ITA Fall National Championships after sweeping the field in Auburn. The title run was also significant given the fact that the majority of Juan's career had been spent as a singles player.Â
- Spending the months of last July and August building relationships with his new teammates was unforgettable. Six guys shared a pair of three-bedroom suites in one of the residential halls on campus. The weather was hot and the air was thick. Throw in sweaty athletes into a dorm room and one of Sponge Bob's famous quotes can be heard – "I smell the smelly smell of something that smells smelly." Juan has been the oldest on the team this season so he naturally was placed in a senior-type of role yet he also was a freshman of sorts. He may have scratched his head at the youthful actions of his younger teammates but has also realized and felt their excitement. The camaraderie they developed throughout the summer and fall has impacted his life with friendships that will last a lifetime.
Patrick first arrived on campus in January 2018. A psychology major, "PK" is the final player from the 2018 NCAA Sweet Sixteen squad that helped push our program to new levels of accomplishment during his Capstone career. Some notable moments that he shared with me include:
- Competing in his first dual match on January 26, 2018 against Virginia Tech after not knowing if he would fully recover from a back injury he sustained just before leaving Espoo, Finland, for Tuscaloosa. After weeks of work with athletic trainer Katie Wheeler, PK jumped on court against VT's Carlo Donato at No. 4 singles (much like he would jump on a bike) and played flawless tennis en route to a 6-0, 6-3 victory.Â
- Advancing to the 2019 NCAA doubles championship match with partner Mazen Osama. The pair defeated a tough semifinal opponent in Mississippi State's Niclaus Braun & Giovanni Oradini before falling in the final to UCLA's Max Cressy & Keegan Smith. Patrick and Mazen tied a program-best No. 4 in the final national doubles rankings, garnered All-American honors and made the program's first national championship appearance.
- Playing soccer on the sand with teammates at Pacific Beach, California, while on a road trip to compete against San Diego State and Pepperdine. The game concluded with plenty of smiles, sore and sandy bodies and a chilly dip in the ocean in between a pair of victories over the Aztecs and Waves.
- Defeating Mississippi State at home last April on Senior Night with all of his former teammates. Fans were not allowed indoors during the season due to COVID, so to finish out the home season in front of a large and supportive Crimson Tide crowd was very memorable and special.
So the college tennis chapter for Juan and Patrick ends at home this weekend but the book (beyond the cover) continues as we host the Florida Gators (2021 NCAA team champions) at 6 p.m. CT on Friday night, followed by the South Carolina Gamecocks on Sunday at 1 p.m. and the UAB Blazers (once again but this time outdoors) at 6 p.m. Friday is Crimson Chaos Night with FREE Chick-fil-A for fans while the Crimson Racket Club will provide FREE grilled burgers and hot dogs on Sunday afternoon. We had incredible crowds for our Texas A&M and Arkansas matches and would love to replicate or outdo the effort this weekend. Your cheers of encouragement and support have been invaluable, helpful and priceless. #ThatsBama
Roll Tide,
George
