[su_spacer size=”40″] “There were so many close matches,” said head coach Manuel Diaz. “We had a couple of days off this week in what was the first opportunity we’ve had to give our guys a second day off, and they needed it. Rest and recovery right now is very important in the middle of the season. We may not have been quite as sharp as we had hoped, but it really had more to do with ETSU playing such a great match.“
[su_spacer size=”40″] The victory was the Bulldogs’ eighth straight, its longest streak of the season and one shy of last season’s nine game streak. The 9-0 victory was Georgia’s second of the year after posting the same score against Furman on February 22. Previously, the team had not won 9-0 since 1992 against Georgia Tech.
[su_spacer size=”40″] After dropping the first doubles match 6-4 at No. 2, freshmen Wayne Montgomery and Paul Oosterbaan defeated ETSU’s Conner Huertas and Diego Nunez 7-5. With the doubles point hanging in the balance, the Bulldogs’ seventh-ranked pair of Austin Smith and Ben Wagland topped the David Biosca and Rogerio Ribeiro 6-4 at No. 1. Smith and Wagland move to 8-1 in doubles on the season.
[su_spacer size=”40″] The Bulldogs went on to win eight straight singles matches, beginning with No. 17 Montgomery’s 6-4, 6-4 win over ETSU’s Ribeiro at No. 2. Senior Nathan Pasha, ranked No. 15 nationally, defeated Huertas 4-6, 6-2, 7-6(5) at No. 3. Pasha’s win was his team-leading ninth in a row in singles. Wagland followed with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 score over Sebastian Yllera at No. 4 to give Georgia the 4-0 advantage overall.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Smith, ranked No. 30, clinched the match for the Bulldogs in a third-set tiebreaker, 4-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(2). Smith’s victory at No. 1 was his fourth clinch of the year, tied for a team lead with junior Nick Wood. Oosterbaan then notched his sixth straight singles victory with a 6-2, 6-4 victory.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Freshman Peter Bertran extended Georgia’s lead to 7-0 in straight sets over Diego Nunez, 6-2, 6-1. Senior Eric Diaz continued the scoring with a 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 win over the Buccaneers’ Ismael Merino at No. 6. Freshman Andy Martinez impressed in his first dual match action of the season claiming a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Ricardo Pabon to earn the Bulldogs’ ninth and final point.
[su_spacer size=”40”] Georgia returns to action on Sunday against South Carolina at 1 p.m. at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex.