The eighth-seeded Georgia men’s tennis team will take on Winthrop Friday at 2 p.m. in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The winner will play either Florida State or Troy Saturday at 3 p.m. for a berth in the round of 16 to be played May 14-25 in Waco, Texas. FSU and Troy will play Friday at 11 a.m. at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex.
[su_spacer size=”40″]
FORMAT: Georgia and the rest of the SEC has played each match this season under the new ITA shortened format, but the NCAA team and individual championships will be played under the traditional format used last season. The ITA shortened format includes no-ad scoring in singles and doubles, each doubles match played to six with a tiebreaker at 6-all, and no warm-ups with opponents in singles and doubles. The traditional format includes deuce-ad scoring in singles and doubles with an eight-game pro set in doubles.
[su_spacer size=”40″] SO FAR THIS SEASON: Georgia enters the NCAA Tournament with a No. 7 national ranking and a 21-4 record. The Bulldogs have been ranked in the top-10 throughout the season and spent eight weeks in the top-five. UGA has six wins against top-15 teams this season, and Georgia won the SEC regular season title for the 29th time this year, to go along with its nine SEC Tournament titles for a total of 38 combined regular season and tournament crowns – all since 1971. The Bulldogs were 11-1 in conference play, the only loss coming at current No. 20 Mississippi State. The other three losses were to then-No. 1 USC (twice) and on the road at SEC co-champion Texas A&M in the SEC Tournament final.
[su_spacer size=”40″] GEORGIA’S NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY: Georgia is 98-32 all-time in the NCAA Tournament with six titles, most recently in 2008. This is the 12th consecutive year that the Bulldogs have played host to the first and second rounds, and UGA has advanced to the NCAA Championships each time. In addition to winning six NCAA championships, Georgia has reached the NCAA final seven other times. This is the Bulldogs’ 37th appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
[su_spacer size=”40″] INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS: Georgia has three players ranked in the singles top-31: Wayne Montgomery at No. 24, Austin Smith at No. 30 and Nathan Pasha at No. 31. In doubles, Smith has been ranked No. 1 in the country with Ben Wagland dating back to March 24. Wagland is also No. 44 with Paul Oosterbaan, while Smith and Eric Diaz are ranked No. 63.
[su_spacer size=”40″] NOTEWORTHY
[su_spacer size=”10″] » Six different players have clinched multiple matches for Georgia this season, led by Nick Wood with six and Austin Smith with five.
[su_spacer size=”40″] SO FAR THIS SEASON: Georgia enters the NCAA Tournament with a No. 7 national ranking and a 21-4 record. The Bulldogs have been ranked in the top-10 throughout the season and spent eight weeks in the top-five. UGA has six wins against top-15 teams this season, and Georgia won the SEC regular season title for the 29th time this year, to go along with its nine SEC Tournament titles for a total of 38 combined regular season and tournament crowns – all since 1971. The Bulldogs were 11-1 in conference play, the only loss coming at current No. 20 Mississippi State. The other three losses were to then-No. 1 USC (twice) and on the road at SEC co-champion Texas A&M in the SEC Tournament final.
[su_spacer size=”40″] GEORGIA’S NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY: Georgia is 98-32 all-time in the NCAA Tournament with six titles, most recently in 2008. This is the 12th consecutive year that the Bulldogs have played host to the first and second rounds, and UGA has advanced to the NCAA Championships each time. In addition to winning six NCAA championships, Georgia has reached the NCAA final seven other times. This is the Bulldogs’ 37th appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
[su_spacer size=”40″] INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS: Georgia has three players ranked in the singles top-31: Wayne Montgomery at No. 24, Austin Smith at No. 30 and Nathan Pasha at No. 31. In doubles, Smith has been ranked No. 1 in the country with Ben Wagland dating back to March 24. Wagland is also No. 44 with Paul Oosterbaan, while Smith and Eric Diaz are ranked No. 63.
[su_spacer size=”40″] NOTEWORTHY
[su_spacer size=”10″] » Six different players have clinched multiple matches for Georgia this season, led by Nick Wood with six and Austin Smith with five.
» Georgia led the conference with four First Team All-SEC selections, including freshman of the year Wayne Montgomery. Austin Smith, Nathan Pasha and Ben Wagland were also first team honorees. All four will participate in the individual portion of the NCAA Championships.
» As the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Doubles Championship, Austin Smith and Ben Wagland secured All-America honors.
» Georgia’s freshmen are a combined 30-6 in dual matches this season.
» The Bulldogs have used the same doubles combination at No. 1 in 20 consecutive matches. No. 1-ranked Austin Smith and Ben Wagland are 15-2 in those matches with wins against teams ranked Nos. 1, 2, 4, 6, 11 (twice) and 12.
» Nathan Pasha needs one more doubles win for 100 in his career, which would tie him with former Bulldog John Roddick for eighth all-time at UGA. Pasha is 217-95 in singles and doubles matches in his career, which is tied for ninth on UGA’s career wins list.
» Georgia has played host to the NCAA Championships 31 times, most recently in 2014. It will return to Athens in 2017 following this season in Waco, Texas and next year in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
[su_spacer size=”40″] UP NEXT: The winner of the NCAA Athens First & Second Rounds will advance to the round of 16 to be held in Waco, Texas against the winner of the pod that includes Texas, Cal, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Navy. The round of 16 match will be played at Baylor University on May 14 at 10 a.m. ET.
[su_spacer size=”40″]
[su_spacer size=”40″] UP NEXT: The winner of the NCAA Athens First & Second Rounds will advance to the round of 16 to be held in Waco, Texas against the winner of the pod that includes Texas, Cal, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Navy. The round of 16 match will be played at Baylor University on May 14 at 10 a.m. ET.
NCAA TENNIS FIRST & SECOND ROUNDS SCHEDULE OF PLAY (TIMES EASTERN)
[su_spacer size=”10″] Friday, May 8
MATCH 1 (Men): 11 a.m. – Florida State vs. Troy
MATCH 2 (Men): 2 p.m. – Georgia vs. Winthrop
[su_spacer size=”20″] Saturday, May 9
MATCH 3 (Women): 9 a.m. – Duke vs. Purdue
MATCH 4 (Women): 12 p.m. – Georgia vs. Charleston Southern
MATCH 5 (Men): 3 p.m. – Winner Match 1 vs. 2
[su_spacer size=”20″] Sunday, May 10
MATCH 6 (Women): 1 p.m. – Winner Match 3 vs. 4
[su_spacer size=”10″] Friday, May 8
MATCH 1 (Men): 11 a.m. – Florida State vs. Troy
MATCH 2 (Men): 2 p.m. – Georgia vs. Winthrop
[su_spacer size=”20″] Saturday, May 9
MATCH 3 (Women): 9 a.m. – Duke vs. Purdue
MATCH 4 (Women): 12 p.m. – Georgia vs. Charleston Southern
MATCH 5 (Men): 3 p.m. – Winner Match 1 vs. 2
[su_spacer size=”20″] Sunday, May 10
MATCH 6 (Women): 1 p.m. – Winner Match 3 vs. 4