Feb. 21, 2014
THE FLATS – Georgia Tech begins Atlantic Coast Conference play Saturday when the Yellow Jackets venture to Tallahassee, Fla., to take on 37th-ranked Florida State at 12 noon at the Speicher Tennis Center.
Live Scoring | #TGW: The Gauntlet Begins
Tech, 6-1 overall, dropped a close match to 24th-ranked Auburn, 4-3, on Friday but rebounded with two easy victories over Old Dominion and The Citadel on Sunday and has moved up to No. 42 in this week’s Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings. The Seminoles (9-2) have not played since Feb. 7, when they lost to Oklahoma, 4-0.
Tech made its debut in the ITA rankings after stunning 17th-ranked South Carolina, 4-2, on Jan. 31. The Gamecocks were the highest ranked team the Yellow Jackets had defeated since 2011.
Head coach Kenny Thorne has the nation’s 15th-ranked doubles team in a pair of Madrid, Spain natives Eduardo Segura, a junior, and Carlos Benito, a freshman, who are 6-0 in dual matches this spring and have helped the Jackets win the doubles point in six of seven matches,
Sophomore Nathan Rakitt (Marietta, Ga.) is 5-1 at the top of the singles lineup, losing only to 44th-ranked Carlos Lopez Villa of ODU in three sets. Benito also is 5-1 playing at No. 2, while Segura is 5-2 playing at No. 3, and freshman Cole Fiegel (Alachua, Fla.) is 6-1 at the No. 5 spot.
Sophomore Casey Kay (Atlanta, Ga.) has been solid at No. 4 with a 3-2 mark, and Thorne is hoping freshman Will Showers (Gainesville, Ga.), 2-1 over the weekend after missing the fall and early spring, can shore up the bottom of the order.
About Georgia Tech Men’s Tennis
Georgia Tech’s men’s tennis team is in its 16th 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.
