University of Georgia Athletics
Georgia Tennis Finishes Strong At Bulldog Scramble
November 06, 2005 | Men's Tennis
Nov. 6, 2005
ATHENS, Ga. --- On the final day of play at the Bulldog Scramble in Athens, Ga., two University of Georgia men's tennis players picked up wins on their home courts at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex. Junior Ricardo Gonzalez and freshman Josh Varela each won three-set matches and then paired up for a doubles victory as well.
"This was a great way to finish the fall for both of these players," said Georgia assistant coach Will Glenn. "They have both come a long way and worked very hard and it showed in their matches today."
After dropping a tough first set to Juan Pablo DiCesare of Ole Miss by a score of 7-6 (4), Gonzalez fought back to win the second set, 6-4. The two then played a 10-point tiebreak in lieu of a third set, which saw Gonzalez take down DiCesare by a score of 1-0 (10-8).
"Ricardo had a huge win today," said Glenn. "He really went after it and played very well. He was willing to adjust his game and do some things that he is not quite comfortable with in order to win. He was able to come forward, step inside and dictate play. He took a risk and showed a lot of maturity in doing those uncomfortable things when the match called for it. Ricky had a great fall and its terrific to finish with that win."
Varela won a three-set battle of his own, eventually toppling Shaun Young of Florida. After easily winning the first set 6-1, Varela fell in the second by a score of 6-4. The third set went Varela's way though as he stepped up and won 6-4 to secure the match victory.
"This was another great win for Josh," said Glenn. "He played with great composure. He has come a long way this fall, putting in a lot of work in the weight room and working on his overall fitness. The fitness aspect really showed down the stretch as he was able to keep playing at a high level when his opponent got tired."
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