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MTennis: Miguel Perez Peña won the ITA Southeast Regional Singles Championship on Monday afternoon
Junior Miguel Perez Peña of the Georgia men’s tennis team won the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Southeast Regional Singles Championship on Monday afternoon at the Ken Byers Tennis Complex, defeating South Florida’s [12] Alvin Tudorica 7-6(5), 6-1. He joins Blake Croyder as the second consecutive Bulldog to win the title.
Perez Peña, the field’s nine seed, moves to 11-2 on the year in singles and has earned a spot at the ITA National Fall Championships in San Diego on Nov. 1-5. This marks the sixth time since 2013 that a Georgia player has won the singles regional championship.
The Castellon de la Plana, Spain native defeated Azariah Rusher (FSU), Pierre Mouesca (Georgia Southern), Aleksander Orlikowski (UF), Richard Biagiotti (GT), teammate Cyrus Mahjoob and Tudorica in route to his first collegiate tournament championship.
“I am incredibly proud of the way our guys battled this weekend in Atlanta,” head coach Manuel Diaz said. “In particular, you have to recognize Cyrus and Miguel having a tremendous battle today in the semifinals with Miguel coming ahead in this final match, showing incredible progress. While it wasn’t all smooth and nerves at times were evident, he was able to conquer the moment and really captured a great championship today.”
Perez Peña’s day began at 10 a.m. ET in the semifinals, where he found himself against freshman Mahjoob. He fell behind early 4-2 but managed to break Mahjoob’s serve twice to take the first set, 6-4. Perez Peña would go on to beat his teammate by a 6-4, 6-2 score to clinch a berth into the ITA National Fall Championships.
“It was definitely one of the toughest matches of the tournament because it is always hard to play a friend,” said Perez Peña. “There are more emotions and feelings in that match, not as if I was playing another player from another school. It was a hard match emotionally because there was more into it to go to a bigger tournament such as fall nationals. I was able to control it well and let all of those feelings go away as the match kept going and ended on a good note.”
Perez Peña then faced Tudorica in the finals to decide the champion. He led 5-1 early, but Tudorica managed to force a first-set breaker. Despite the momentum swing, Perez Peña persevered to win the breaker, eventually taking both the second set and the championship.
Perez Peña now looks ahead to the ITA National Fall Championships, considered to be one of the premier fall tournaments in college tennis. The field of 32 is comprised of the two ITA Regional Championship finalists from each of the 12 regions, two ITA wild cards, an ITA Cup wild card, a Milwaukee Tennis Classic wild card and the four ITA All-American semifinalists.
“I am super excited to play in the event,” Perez Peña said. “I am going to work hard and prepare as best as possible. I am going to go there fearing no one. I am going to go there ready to fight and believe that I can take that one home as well.”
The team’s final event of the fall will be back in Atlanta for the Georgia Tech Invitational from Nov. 3-5 at the Ken Byers Tennis Complex.
Singles Results – Day Five
Singles Main Draw
Semifinals
[9] Miguel Perez Peña (UGA) def. Cyrus Mahjoob (UGA) 6-4, 6-2Finals
[9] Miguel Perez Peña (UGA) def. [12] Alvin Tudorica (USF) 7-6(5), 6-1Head Coach Manuel Diaz Comments
On the ITA Southeast Regional Championships…
“I am incredibly proud of the way our guys battled this weekend in Atlanta. In particular, you have to recognize Cyrus and Miguel having a tremendous battle today in the semifinals with Miguel coming ahead in this final match, showing incredible progress. While it wasn’t all smooth and nerves at time were evident, he was able to conquer the moment and really captured a great championship today.”
On how Blake Croyder and Miguel Perez Peña won the tournament in consecutive years…
“Just continuing to grow. We take a great deal of pride in making progress each and every day in practice, and it shows. It shows in these tournaments. They deserve a tremendous amount of credit for the work they put in and the high standards they set for themselves as well as our program.”
Miguel Perez Peña Comments
On playing a teammate in the semifinals…
“It was definitely one of the toughest matches of the tournament because it is always hard to play a friend. There are more emotions and feelings in that match, not as if I was playing another player from another school. It was a hard match emotionally because there was more into it to go to a bigger tournament such as fall nationals. I was able to control it well and let all of those feelings go away as the match kept going and ended on a good note.”
On being one of six Bulldogs to have won the title since 2013…
“I knew Blake [Croyder] won it last year. It is good to keep building on the tradition. This program is much more than just titles and the way we compete. I see the most players coming back to our office and to see us and the way they talk about the way they competed. It inspires me. I focus on competing and trying to pull from their examples.”
On his growth to achieve this moment…
“It is worth it. At the beginning of the match, it was hard for me. I was thrilled to be ahead in the score. That match against Kentucky in the SEC Tournament came to my mind. I just didn’t try to rush it, play it as I have been playing all of the tournament and take it point-by-point. It was a good to realize that I am growing as a player mentally, tactically and also my game.”
On playing in the ITA Nationals Fall Championships…
“I am super excited to play in the event. I am going to work hard and prepare as best as possible. I am going to go there fearing no one. I am going to go there ready to fight and believe that I can take that one home as well.”
Peyton Woodring Ties Nick Chubb Record
Georgia true freshman place-kicker Peyton Woodring has earned his third consecutive Southeastern Conference weekly honor following the Bulldogs’ 37-20 road win over Vanderbilt, according to a league announcement Monday.
Woodring, a native of Lafayette, La., has garnered his third straight SEC Freshman Player of the Week honor in his career. The last Georgia player to win this award three weeks in a row was Nick Chubb in 2014. In fact, Chubb won the award in consecutive weeks following wins over Vanderbilt and Missouri before collecting the honor three straight weeks after wins over Kentucky, Auburn and Charleston Southern.
This marks the sixth SEC weekly honors for the Bulldogs this season. Junior center Sedrick Van Pran was named the SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week on Sept. 18 for Georgia’s first weekly honor this season. Junior linebacker Smael Mondon (Defensive Player) and Woodring (Freshman) earned the honors after the road win over Auburn. Woodring was again named the league’s Co-Freshman last week after the win over No. 20 Kentucky while Beck was the SEC Co-Offensive Player of the Week.
Woodring hit all three of his field goals, including a career-long 44 yarder, and was a perfect 4-for-4 on PATs during the victory over the Commodores.
Photo Replay: South Carolina and Kentucky Games
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