March 26, 2010
ATLANTA – Coming off a 12-day break from competition, Georgia Tech’s men’s tennis team hits the road this weekend for a pair of key Atlantic Coast Conference matches, visiting Wake Forest Saturday and NC State Sunday. Both matches begin at 1 p.m.
Tech, 10-3 overall, 1-1 in the ACC and ranked No. 29 in the latest ITA poll, takes a two-match winning streak on the road, having defeated No. 48 UNC-Wilmington and No. 35 Miami in the last two weeks. The Jackets’ ACC loss occurred at No. 18 Florida State on Feb. 21.
The Demon Deacons, 6-4 overall, have yet to play an ACC match and are ranked No. 26 this week. The Wolfpack, ranked No. 46 this week, are 12-4 overall and 0-1 in conference play, having lost to No. 30 North Carolina on March 15.
“Wake Forest is a good team that has played well this year,” said head coach Kenny Thorne. “It is a good opportunity for us to see how much we have improved since the beginning of the year. We have competed better and better as the year has progressed so it should be a great test for us.”
Guillermo Gomez, No. 5 in the most recent ITA singles rankings, brings a 20-4 overall singles record and a 7-2 dual match mark at No. 1 singles. The junior from Alicante, Spain has won his last three matches coming into the weekend, having defeated three ranked foes this spring and nine overall this year.
Juniors Eliot Potvin and Dean O’Brien are the only other two Yellow Jackets to have played in every dual match this spring. Potvin, from Hampden, Maine, has gone 10-3 overall and 1-1 in ACC play, having played at least one match at every spot in the lineup. O’Brien, from Benmore, South Africa, is 6-7 overall and 0-2 in conference play, playing at every spot except No. 1.
Meanwhile, sophomore Kevin King has won all five of his matches since returning from a shoulder injury that kept him out of fall competition and the early spring. The Peachtree City, Ga., native has risen from playing No. 6 against Auburn on Feb. 7 to playing his last two matches at No. 2, and has not lost a set in the process.
Thorne has gotten solid play from freshmen Magin Ortiga (Cartagina, Colombia), who is 7-4 in dual match play, and junior Miguel Muguruza (Wesley Chapel, Fla.), who is 6-2.
