Over the final days of 2021, ramblinwreck.com is revisiting the top moments of the year for each Georgia Tech team. Below is a look back at the first time since digital records have been kept that a single team has won all three brackets of the ITA Southeast Regionals.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Georgia Tech men’s tennis players, Andres Martin, Marcus McDaniel and Chen Dong won every final at the ITA Southeast Regionals. This is the first time since 2009, when digital records were kept, that one school has won all three draws of the Southeast Regionals.
No. 31 Martin won both men’s singles and doubles finals at the Southeast Regionals on Monday, becoming the first player in the digital record era to accomplish the feat. Prior to Martin’s day, only once before has a school won the singles and doubles draws and only once before has a player competed in both draws during that time frame.
“It was a very tough tournament with consecutive singles and doubles matches but I’m happy about my performance and the entire team,” Martin said. “I think we can take a lot of positives from this weekend into our next fall events.”
Martin is the first Tech men’s tennis player since current assistant coach Kevin King was on The Flats to win the singles draw. King won the singles draw in 2011. Martin and his doubles partner, Marcus McDaniel, are the first Tech men’s tennis team since Juan Spir and Vikram Hundal won the doubles draw in 2012.
Martin took the main draw singles title against Trey Hilderbrand of UCF, 6-2, 5-7, 6-2. Approximately one hour later, No. 8 McDaniel/Martin won a hard-fought match against No. 11 Hannestad/Aubone of Miami, 7-6(2),7-5.
“Today was a tough match against Trey. He’s a very tricky player,” Martin said. “I’m glad Marcus was there to fire me up for the doubles match right after singles because I was feeling slightly fatigued from all the tennis played this weekend.”
The doubles match was a tight contest with neither side giving in. A 3-1 start in the tiebreaker followed by a 3-0 ending clinched the set for McDaniel/Martin. The second set was at 4-3 with McDaniel/Martin in a position to break a serve for the first time in the set when rain forced the match indoors. The change of scenery did not cause McDaniel/Martin to falter as they took three more games to win the match.
Dong claimed the top spot in the singles consolation bracket as his prospective opponent withdrew on Sunday prior to a potential Monday matchup.
Martin and McDaniel will compete next at the ITA Fall Nationals in San Diego, Calif. from Nov. 5-7. Dong, Keshav Chopra, Ángel Guerrero Melgar, Brandon McKinney and Pablo Schelcher will be competing that weekend at the GT Invite at the Ken Byers Tennis Complex.
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