Feb. 26, 2010
ATLANTA – Georgia Tech’s men’s tennis team returns to action at home Saturday, taking on cross-town foe Georgia State in a 2:30 p.m. match at the Bill Moore Tennis Center.
The Yellow Jackets, ranked No. 30 in the nation and featuring the nation’s No. 3-ranked singles player in Guillermo Gomez, look to get back on the winning track after dropping their first Atlantic Coast Conference match last Sunday. Tech, 7-3 overall, has played its last six matches against teams ranked 55th or higher in the nation, winning three of those.
Georgia State enters the match with a 7-3 record, having lost to Clemson, 5-2, in its last competition on Sunday.
Head coach Kenny Thorne, whose team has played three of four home matches indoors because of severe winter weather so far, is hoping the weather is favorable enough to play outdoors Saturday. Live scoring of the match will be available at www.ramblinwreck.com.
Gomez, a junior from Alicante, Spain, has built an impressive record this year, compiling an 18-4 singles record and a 5-2 mark so far in the dual season. The All-American is 9-3 against ranked opponents, including a three-set thrilling triumph last Sunday against the Seminoles’ Jean-Yves Aubone, ranked No. 35.
“We are hopefully going to be able to get outdoors on Saturday. We need more outdoor matches,” said Thorne. All three of Tech’s road matches have been played outdoors. “We are getting better this season and have played well at home.”
Tech also has gotten a lift from the return of Kevin King, who was sidelines eight months with a shoulder injury but returned to win the clinching match against Auburn on Feb. 17. The sophomore from Peachtree City, Ga., has not dropped a set in his two matches so far.
“We are looking forward to getting Kevin back in the doubles lineup,” added Thorne. “We need to take more pride in getting the doubles point because I believe we are a better doubles team than we have been playing. We are also looking for a few guys to settle into their games over the next few matches.”
Other regulars in the Tech singles lineup the last few matches have been Eliot Potvin, a junior from Hampden, Maine, who is 13-7 in singles (7-3 dual), Dean O’Brien, a junior from Benmore, South Africa, who is 10-9 overall (5-5 dual), Magin Ortiga, a freshman from Cartagina, Colombia, who is 11-9 overall (5-3 dual) and Juan Spir, a freshman from Medellin, Colombia, who is 5-9 overall (3-6 fual).
Parking for Saturday’s match, normally available on Fowler Street, 8th Street or in the Alexander Memorial Coliseum lot, will not be available until close to match time due to the men’s basketball game between Tech and Boston College, which begins at 12 noon. Those areas should clear between 2 and 2:30 p.m. Patrons who arrive earlier can look for paid parking in Peters Parking Deck at 4th and Fowler Streets, or in the North Deck at Atlantic and 10th Streets.
