April 9, 2015
Live Scoring (Virginia) | Live Scoring (Virginia Tech) | Season Statistics & Results
THE FLATS – Georgia Tech’s men’s tennis team continues an ever-toughening Atlantic Coast Conference schedule this weekend when it travels to Virginia for two big Atlantic Coast Conference matches at No. 4 Virginia (3 p.m. Friday) and No. 12 Virginia Tech (2 p.m. Sunday), the top two teams in the ACC standings.
TEAM UPDATES – Georgia Tech (11-8, 3-5 ACC) has lost its last four ACC matches, all to opponents ranked No. 36 or higher. Last weekend, the Yellow Jackets were able to win only three singles matches in losses to No. 12 Wake Forest and No. 34 NC State. Virginia (16-3, 8-0 ACC) has won seven straight matches, while Virginia Tech (15-3, 7-2 ACC), which has lost only to Wake Forest and Virginia in ACC play, has a non-conference match Friday at VCU before coming to Atlanta.
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.), who has played at the top of Tech’s lineup in 11 matches this spring, is ranked 54th in this week’s ITA singles rankings. The freshman has three wins over opponents ranked in the top 20 and is 5-6 at the top spot, 12-7 in dual matches overall. Sophomore Carlos Benito (Madrid, Spain), who is 16-4 this spring, has played every spot in the lineup except No. 1, and has a 3-2 mark at his current No. 2 position.
Junior Nathan Rakitt (Marietta, Ga.), sophomore Cole Fiegel (Alachua, Fla.), freshman Michael Kay (Alpharetta, Ga.) and senior Eduardo Segura (Madrid, Spain) are currently 3-through-6 in the lineup. Fiegel has had a strong spring with a 14-5 dual match record, while Segura is 11-6 in dual matches and a team-best 26-11 in singles for the year.
DOUBLES UPDATE – Tech has won the doubles point in 11 of 19 matches this spring, but has lost the point in four straight matches. Eubanks and Kay played No. 1 last weekend for the Jackets, splitting their two matches, and are 9-6 this spring. Once-ranked Benito and Segura are at No. 2 with a four-match losing streak and a 9-7 record, while Rakitt and Fiegel are 4-1 at No. 3, 5-3 overall this spring.
HEAD COACH Kenny Thorne SAYS – “It’s a tough challenge, not only on the road, but both teams have had very good seasons. Virginia has lost a couple more than they have in the past, but they’re still ranked No. 4. Virginia Tech is really having one of their best seasons. At this stage of our season, we need to win. We need something to help get us up in the rankings. We’re playing all top-15 teams from here on in, and maybe even in the ACC Tournament. We probably need two wins out of those to be considered (for the NCAA Tournament), and three at that level of competition would probably get us in. Every team we’ve lost to is in the tournament if you were to make the draw today.”
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.
