Planinsek Advances to NCAA Singles Championships
4/30/2024 7:43:00 PM | Men's Tennis
Planinsek will make his second career appearance in the singles draw, while the UA junior and Zimnokh were named alternates for the doubles competition
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. –– Filip Planinsek will make his second appearance at the NCAA Singles Championships, the organization announced Tuesday. Additionally, Planinsek and doubles partner Andrii Zimnokh were named alternates for the NCAA doubles competition.
The singles and doubles tournament will be held May 20-25 at the Greenwood Tennis Center in Stillwater, Okla.
It marks the second overall berth to the NCAA singles tournament for Planinsek, after qualifying for the national event his freshman year. With both of his advancing performances, Alabama has had 41 entries in the singles competition.
From Head Coach George Husack
"A great honor for these two guys. Filip has been our top player since his arrival on campus. After a stellar freshman campaign, expectations that he had for himself got the best of him last year. His response was to put his head down and get back to work this season and he did just that.
"Filip and Andrii were an experiment in the fall and it turned out to be quite the combination. Not only did they complement each other immediately on court en route to the regional doubles championship by winning, but they also found themselves throughout the season. It's a testament to their commitment and desire to improve and I'm proud of their effort and success."
Alabama in the NCAA Singles Tournament
- Filip Planinsek will make a return trip to the NCAA individual championships after reaching the second round of the 2022 singles draw his freshman year
- It marks the 41st time UA has qualified someone in the NCAA singles tournament
- Under Head Coach George Husack, Alabama has notched a spot 16 times at either the NCAA Singles or Doubles Championships, and has qualified in at least one individual competition in nine out of 11 years (there was no NCAA Tournament in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic)
About Filip Planinsek, NCAA Singles Draw
- Planinsek ranks 32nd nationally in singles, while the doubles pairing of Planinsek and Zimnokh hold a national ranking of 39th
- The UA junior was named an All-SEC honoree for the third consecutive year after being named to the all-conference first team
- Planinsek has tallied 20 singles wins with 13 victories at the No. 1 spot
- He was crowned the 2023 ITA Southern Regional Doubles Champion alongside Zimnokh, going undefeated in the fall tournament
- Planinsek was named SEC Player of the Week twice during the season for his performance at the ITA National Indoor Championships (Feb. 21) and against Ole Miss and then-No. 11 Texas A&M (April 15)
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– UA –
Players Mentioned
