Paul Oosterbaan makes a return during a NCAA mens tennis match between the Texas A&M Aggies and the University of Georgia Bulldogs at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex on Friday, March 6, 2015 in Athens, Ga.
(Photo by John Kelley)
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The fifth-ranked Georgia men’s tennis team will play host to No. 17 Vanderbilt Friday at 5 p.m. at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex. The Bulldogs (15-2, 7-0) are in first place in the SEC, while Vanderbilt’s five SEC wins are third most in the league.
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LAST TIME OUT: Georgia blanked South Carolina 4-0 last Sunday in a match that was moved indoors due to rain. The Bulldogs won a hard-fought doubles point to take a 1-0 lead. Nos. 1 and 2 doubles both went to tiebeakers, and Austin Smith and Ben Wagland clinched the doubles point at No. 1. Wagland then clinched the win with a victory at No. 4 singles.
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RANKINGS: Georgia remained at No. 5 in this week’s ITA Rankings. For the first time since 2007, a Georgia doubles team is ranked No. 1 as Austin Smith and Ben Wagland took over the top spot. Wagland and Paul Oosterbaan are ranked 37th, while Smith and Eric Diaz are No. 70. In singles, Nathan Pasha is the highest ranked Bulldog at No. 18, while Wayne Montgomery is 28th and Smith is 31st.
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NOTEWORTHY
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• When Austin Smith and Ben Wagland were ranked No. 1 in the latest doubles rankings this week, it marked the first time a Georgia doubles came in at No. 1 since John Isner and Luis Flores in 2007. Smith and Wagland Smith are 9-1 this season with wins against teams ranked Nos. 1, 2, 8, 11, 12, 44 and 47.
• Nathan Pasha has won his last 10 completed matches, which is the longest such streak in the SEC. Pasha needs three more wins to move into a tie for 10th on the all-time career doubles wins list at UGA. He is currently 95-44 and plays No. 2 doubles with Eric Diaz.
• Pasha is one of four Georgia players who have won five or more singles matches in a row. Paul Oosterbaan and Smith have won six in a row, while Peter Bertran has won five in a row.
• As a team, Georgia has won nine consecutive matches starting with the 9-0 win over Furman on Feb. 22. The Bulldogs are 29-1 in their last 30 regular season SEC matches.
• Wayne Montgomery has won a combined 42 singles and doubles matches this year, which leads the team.
• Six different players have clinched matches for the Bulldogs this season. Wagland and Nick Wood lead the team with four apiece.
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• Andy Martinez recorded his first career dual match win last week against East Tennessee State.
UP NEXT: The Bulldogs will play their final road matches of the regular season next week at Mississippi State on Friday and at Alabama on Sunday.
