Feb. 23, 2015
THE FLATS – In the midst of the toughest stretch of the spring season to date, Georgia Tech plays its third straight against a team ranked among the ITA’s top 40 when No. 20 Tennessee visits the Ken Byers Tennis Complex for a 4 p.m. match Tuesday.
MATCH INFORMATION – Admission is free to Tuesday’s match, and parking is available along Fowler Street and in the McCamish Pavilion lot. Free pizza and t-shirts will be offered to the first 100 fans through the door.
TEAM UPDATE – Georgia Tech (5-2), ranked No. 70 this week in the ITA weekly poll, has lost its last two matches by identical scores of 4-3 to fourth-ranked Georgia and No. 38 Auburn. The Yellow Jackets won the doubles point in each contest but was unable to capture enough wins in singles to take the match. Tennessee is 6-4 after sweeping a double-header from Tennessee Tech on Feb. 14, snapping a string of four straight losses, including Duke and Wake Forest on the road.
SINGLES UPDATE – Tech’s top two players in the lineup are ranked in the ITA top 50 in singles – junior Nathan Rakitt (Marietta, Ga.) is No. 47 with a 3-2 record at the No. 1 slot, and freshman Christopher Eubanks (Atlanta, Ga.) is No. 50, having gone 7-3 this spring with a pair of victories over top-20 opponents. Senior Eduardo Segura (Madrid, Spain) holds down the third spot in the lineup with a 5-4 record this spring, and freshman Michael Kay (Alpharetta, Ga.) is 6-4 playing No. 4. Sophomore Carlos Benito (Madrid, Spain) opened the spring with seven straight wins and is 8-1 at No. 5, while sophomore Cole Fiegel (Alachua, Fla.) has given the Jackets a great anchor at the bottom of the order with a 9-1 mark this spring.
DOUBLES UPDATE – Benito and Segura are 5-1 in their six dual-match decisions this spring and have risen to 44th nationally in the ITA rankings. That includes a victory over 16th-ranked Paul Oosterbaan and Ben Wagland of Georgia last weekend. Eubanks and Kay are 4-2, and Fiegel and Rakitt are 2-0, moving between the No. 2 and 3 spots.
HEAD COACH Kenny Thorne SAYS – “Tennessee is the last SEC team we faces this spring, and they are another top 20 program. Our goal has been to correct mistakes from previous matches, and compete like champions every time we step onto the court. I believe this team will do that and continue to get better. We had some specific areas we talked to the team about improving, and our practices have been geared to those areas. I’m looking forward to seeing our guys play tomorrow. It should be a great match.”
ABOUT GEORGIA TECH MEN’S TENNIS
Georgia Tech’s men’s tennis team is in its 17th year under head coach Kenny Thorne. The Yellow Jackets have played in the NCAA Championship 14 times. Connect with Georgia Tech Men’s Tennis on social media by liking their Facebook page, or following on Twitter (@GT_MTEN). For more information on Tech men’s tennis, visit Ramblinwreck.com.
