The University of Georgia men’s tennis team posted six singles wins and four doubles victories against Kentucky to complete Day One at the Gamecock Southeastern Conference Scramble on Friday.
Georgia won all four doubles contests and six of the eight singles matches that were played against the Wildcats. The Bulldogs will compete against players from the University of Tennessee on Saturday, beginning at 1:30 p.m.
“We had great energy and played well in doubles,” head coach Manny Diaz said. “Overall, we can and must do better in singles. I was pleased with most results, but we fell short of our optimal level in a couple of matches where I thought we could have been more physical and assertive. Tomorrow, we have a chance to rectify that.”
Georgia raced out to an early lead at all four doubles courts, with Trent Bryde and Tyler Zink building a 5-1 advantage. Blake Croyder and Philip Henning went up 4-1, while the tandem of Baptiste Anselmo and Erik Grevelius also jumped out to a 4-1 edge.
Bryde and Zink — 2020 ITA All-Americans — won with ease, taking down Joshua Lapadat and Alexandre LeBlanc, 8-2. The Bulldog duo improves to 11-4 since last season.
Anselmo and Grevelius moved their overall record to 3-0 since being teamed together last fall. The combo ousted Ying-Ze Chen and Heman Nama, 8-1. Croyder and Henning then staved off a Kentucky rally, taking down Millen Hurrion and Gabriel Diallo, 8-4.
In their first collegiate match together, Niklas von Hellens and Britton Johnston defeated Jonathan Sorbo and Tate Sandman, 8-6.
The Bulldogs began singles play with four first-set wins, and they would hold on to win each of those contests. Georgia’s Bryde led off the day with a 6-1, 6-4 win against Millen Hurrion, who went 4-0 at the No. 1 singles spot for the Wildcats in the COVID-shortened 2020 dual-match season.
Henning and Johnston also tallied straight-set wins. Grevelius and von Hellens rebounded from first-set losses to win in three sets. Anselmo ousted Ying-Ze Chen, 7-5, 6-4 to conclude the day.
Doubles Results
Blake Croyder/Philip Henning (UGA) def. Millen Hurrion/Gabriel Diallo (UK), 8-4
Trent Bryde/Tyler Zink (UGA) def. Joshua Lapadat/Alexandre LeBlanc (UK), 8-2
Baptiste Anselmo/Erik Grevelius (UGA) def. Ying-Ze Chen/Heman Nama (UK), 8-1
Britton Johnston/Niklas von Hellens (UGA) def. Jonathan Sorbo/Tate Sandman (UK), 8-6
Singles Results
Trent Bryde (UGA) def. Millen Hurrion (UK), 6-1, 6-4
Gabriel Diallo (UK) def. Tyler Zink (UGA), 6-4, 2-6, 6-3
Philip Henning (UGA) def. Alexandre LeBlanc (UK), 6-4, 6-4
Joshua Lapadat (UK) def. Blake Croyder (UGA), 7-6, 6-3
Baptiste Anselmo (UGA) def. Ying-Ze Chen (UK), 7-5, 6-4
Erik Grevelius (UGA) def. Jonathan Sorbo (UK), 4-6, 7-6, 6-2
Britton Johnston (UGA) def. Heman Nama (UK), 6-1, 6-3
Niklas von Hellens (UGA) def. Tate Sandman (UK), 4-6, 6-3, 6-4