March 10, 2005
ATLANTA – After dropping a tough Atlantic Coast Conference match to No. 36 Clemson, 4-3, the No. 51 Georgia Tech (6-3, 0-1 ACC) men’s tennis team is set to face conference foe Miami (5-1, 0-0 ACC) and instate rival No. 6 Georgia (7-2) at the Bill Moore Tennis Center. The Jackets will face the Hurricanes on Sunday, March 13, at noon before facing the Bulldogs at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 15.
This will be the 30th meeting between the Yellow Jackets and Canes, with Miami holding a 25-4 advantage. Georgia Tech won the last meeting between the two schools, taking a 5-2 victory in 2003 in Coral Gables, Fla.
“We had a disappointing loss against Clemson,” head coach Kenny Thorne stated. “We were right there, and just couldn’t manage to pull out the win. We are looking forward to rebounding against Miami. We know that it will be a challenge because Miami traditionally has a very good team. They are very well coached. I think our guys are ready to play.”
The Jackets trail Georgia in the series between the two schools, 17-45, including a tough 4-3 loss last season to the Bulldogs. Tech’s last victory came during the 1988 season when current head coach Kenny Thorne was on the team. Since then, four matches have been decided by one point.
“Obviously our team is very excited to play Georgia,” said Thorne. “This is a match that both teams look forward to each season and it’s a fun match to coach because both teams tend to rise to the occasion and play their best. Georgia is every bit as talented as they have been in the past and our team will have its work cut out for themselves, but are ready for the challenge.”
To date, the Jackets have been led by No. 20 Jose Luis Muguruza and David North. The pair have accounted for a third of the Jackets singles wins this season. North also teams with Marko Rajevac for Tech’s best doubles team this year, posting an 8-1 mark on the dual match season. The tandem of Muguruza and Scott Blackmon are not far behind, with a 6-1 record.
-GT-
