Net News, Volume 9
3/12/2025 6:39:00 PM | Men's Tennis
Happy Spring Break Everyone,
Hope you're enjoying the week, which for some is a break and for others is not. For us, it's a mixture where schoolwork is set aside, while tennis and sleep become top priority. We left today for Texas to compete in College Station and Austin against the Aggies (Friday, 6 p.m. CT) and Longhorns (Sunday, 12 p.m. CT). The practice week was cut short by a day, unfortunately, as we once again had a flight canceled when returning home last weekend. This time we spent the night in Dallas as our flight from Arkansas thru DFW was first canceled, and then arrived late to the Lone Star State. We missed our connection by a few minutes and checked ourselves into a nearby hotel for a few hours…literally. The team got to bed after 1 a.m. and got up at 4:45 a.m. to catch the first flight back to Birmingham. And we didn't benefit from the clocks springing forward an hour that evening either. Nonetheless, we returned safely and had a pair of solid training days after rest and recovery with our top-notch athletic training staff.
Both the Ole Miss and Arkansas matches had a similar theme. Our doubles performance in both matches was solid, effective and provided us a 1-0 lead. Damien (Nezar) and Andrii (Zimnokh) kept their unbeaten streak going in SEC play that gave us a spark heading into singles. Filip (Planinsek) also continued his winning ways, executing at a high level and captured a pair of victories (his 11th and 12th consecutive wins). His self-confidence has certainly grown since capturing the NCAA singles championship last May, but it's his day-to-day preparation and focus at practice that has greatly contributed to his successful start. He's all in, all the time.
The other singles matches last weekend were competitive with mixed results. Mati (Ponce De Leon) suffered a series of back spasms so was unable to compete on either match day which gave opportunities to Zach (Foster) and Carlos (Gimenez Perez) put on their boxing gloves. Both Roan (Jones) and Andrii had challenging three-setters against both the Rebels and Razorbacks. They have improved in each match and taken ownership of the areas that need to be addressed in practice. This has contributed to their ability to execute on match day. Another highlight was Enzo's (Aguiard) return to singles. It had been seven weeks to the day that he last competed in the singles lineup, so it was back on the horse and off to the races. Matic (Kriznik) experienced something new as he was the last match on against Arkansas. Great moment for a freshman to experience, especially when everything is on the line. He battled and did good things to put himself in a position to win. His opponent was a tad better, however, and narrowly defeated our young Slovenian for the home clincher. The weekend results were a pair of 4-3 losses, which were tough to swallow but nonetheless necessary to accept, learn and move forward.
We had a very good film session on Tuesday where we reviewed each player's performance over the past couple of weekends. The guys presented specific points that they wanted to highlight as an area to keep strengthening as well as areas that needed improvement. Their teammates analyzed the plays, asked questions and made statements about what they saw or heard. It was good to listen to the players' viewpoints and see where each guy stood with their game. I thought it was invaluable for them as we continue to look at ourselves and what we do to improve each week. It wasn't a time to panic but rather to dig in and commit more to our craft. Everyone is ultimately responsible for their individual preparation and performance (coaches included).
Alas, it's time to take out our boots and cowboy hats for a pair of rodeos in College Station and Austin. We've had some excellent matches the last couple of years against the Aggies, while this will be the first time since 2015 that we've faced the Longhorns. The weather has been very random this semester with patterns of cold/rainy, warm/windy and outdoor/indoor play. We'll be under the lights at Texas A&M and at high noon against Texas. Catch us online with live stream and stats or in person if you're able.
Following this weekend, we will be home for five of our next six matches. We'll host the Volunteers of Tennessee on Thursday, March 20 at 6 p.m. CT and the Wildcats of Kentucky on Saturday, March 22 at 1 p.m. CT. The Crimson Racket Club will host their first FREE Cookout for the match on the 22nd so come grab a grilled burger and/or hot dog while cheering on the Tide. Looking forward to competing at home again and keeping the Tide rising.
See you after Spring Break and as always…
Roll Tide,
George
