April 2, 2015
THE FLATS – Georgia Tech’s men’s tennis team continues an ever-toughening Atlantic Coast Conference schedule this weekend by hosting 12th-ranked Wake Forest and no. 38 NC State at the Ken Byers Tennis Complex.
Live Match Updates | Season Statistics & Results
MATCH INFORMATION – Admission is free for both matches, Wake Forest at 5 p.m. Friday and NC State at 1 p.m. Saturday. Parking is available along Fowler Street and in the McCamish Pavilion lot. The first 200 fans attending Saturday’s match against the Wolfpack will get a free King of Pops popsicle.
TEAM UPDATES – Georgia Tech (11-6, 3-3 ACC) lost a 4-3 decision to No. 23 Louisville last Friday, the fourth 4-3 decision the Yellow Jackets have lost to a top-50 team this spring, then followed up with a 4-3 win over Kennesaw State on Sunday. The Demon Deacons (13-6, 3-3) have dropped 4-3 decisions to Duke and NC State in their last two matches, while the Wolfpack (11-8, 1-5) stopped an 0-5 start in conference play with their win over Wake Saturday.
Tech lost to both teams on the road last spring, but has a 22-16 all-time mark against Wake Forest and a 25-14 ledger against NC State.
SINGLES UPDATE – Freshman Christopher Eubanks (Atlanta, Ga.) and junior Nathan Rakitt (Marietta, Ga.) remain listed in the week’s ITA rankings, Eubanks at No. 73 and Rakitt at No. 107. Eubanks has played the last few conference matches at No. 1 and has a 5-4 record at that position, 13-6 overall this spring, and the freshman has three wins over opponents ranked in the top 20. Rakitt is 1-4 at No. 2. Sophomore Carlos Benito (Madrid, Spain) is playing No. 3, where he has a 4-1 mark, 15-3 overall this spring. Sophomore Cole Fiegel (Alachua, Fla.) is 13-4 in dual matches and 7-4 in the 4 and 5 positions, where he has spent most of his time, and freshman Michael Kay (Alpharetta, Ga.) has a 9-6 dual-match mark playing those same two positions. Senior Eduardo Segura (Madrid, Spain) remains Tech’s top singles winner for the year at 25-10, and has a 10-5 mark in dual matches, most recently occupying the No. 6 position.
Tech has been able to count on getting points from the No. 5 and 6 spots, where the Jackets are 27-6 this spring, and the Jackets are 23-11 between the 2 and 3 positions.
DOUBLES UPDATE – Tech has won the doubles point in 11 of 17 matches this spring, but lost the point to both Louisville and Kennesaw State last weekend. No. 1 team Benito and Segura are 9-5 in their dual-match decisions this spring and stand No. 58 nationally in the ITA rankings. Eubanks and Michael Kay are 8-5 together playing at No. 2, and Fiegel and Rakitt (Marietta, Ga.) have played at the No. 3 spot most recently.
HEAD COACH Kenny Thorne SAYS – “Our schedule is extremely tough and we end the season with six of the toughest ACC teams (five ranked among the NCAA’s top 20). The good news is that they are all good opportunities for us to break through and we are fortunate to be playing four of the six teams at home this year. If you have watched our team this year, then you know we have the talent to beat some top teams, but we just need to get that fourth point on the board. The guys continue to work hard and they are learning to compete better and better. Wake is a good top 15 team and NC State beat them last week so State is playing well. We are excited for the challenge, and we continue to improve and believe at a deeper level. It looks like a couple of beautiful days to watch some tennis so come on out.”
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.
