March 5, 2011
ATLANTA – Georgia Tech opens its Atlantic Coast Conference schedule Sunday with a 1 p.m. match against Florida State at the Bill Moore Tennis Center. Tech has not played since winning at Auburn on Feb. 20.
The Seminoles (5-5), ranked No. 36 nationally, are the eighth team ranked No. 60 or higher on the Jackets’ schedule to this point in the season. Tech, ranked 17th in the nation, is 7-1.
Admission is free to Sunday’s match. Because of parking restrictions related to Tech’s men’s basketball game against Miami at 2:30 p.m., and the Yellow Jackets baseball game at 1 p.m., patrons are asked to park at Peters Parking Deck at 4th and Fowler Sts.
“Here we go! The ACC schedule is tough this year like always,” said Tech coach Kenny Thorne. “We are excited to be at home for our first ACC match against Florida State. We look forward to getting some fans out here and help us get off to a good start in ACC play. Dwayne has done a great job with their team over the years so we know it will be a good tough match.”
FSU won last year’s meeting in Tallahassee to take a 29-28 edge in the all-time series.
TECH UPDATE: Two Georgia Tech players are ranked among the top 50 in the nation in singles in this week’s ITA rankings – No. 1 singles player Guillermo Gomez is ranked No. 16, and No. 2 player Juan Spir is No. 50. The Yellow Jackets’ doubles team of Kevin King and Juan Spir are ranked No. 15.
Spir, who is 18-5 in singles this year and 7-1 in dual matches, has won his last four matches, including a straight-set triumph over No. 13 Javier Garrapiz of Georgia. Gomez is 17-6 overall, 6-2 in dual matches.
Gomez and Dean O’Brien, who play No. 3 doubles, have the Jackets’ best spring record at 7-1.
Tech’s only encounter with Florida State this year was Spir’s loss to the Seminoles’ Clint Bowles in the fall.
FSU UPDATE: The Seminoles began the season 5-1, but have lost four straight, including a 4-3 loss to Miami in their ACC opener last weekend. They have a pair of players ranked in singles, Vahid Mirzadeh at No. 21 and Bowles at No. 60. Connor Smith and Mirzadeh are the nation’s 13th-ranked doubles team.
UP NEXT: Tech hosts a pair of non-conference matches next week, William & Mary on Wednesday and Illinois State on Thursday (both at 2:30 p.m.), before resuming ACC play March 13 at Miami.
