University of Georgia Athletics
University of Georgia
Southern Intercollegiate Championships
All-Georgia Southern Intercollegiate Final Set For Monday
September 15, 2013 | Men's Tennis
Sept. 15, 2013
ATHENS-----It will be an all-Georgia final in the Southern Intercollegiate Championships Monday morning at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex.
Junior Nathan Pasha and sophomore Ben Wagland each won a pair of matches on Sunday - including three against teammates - to advance to the Division I singles final. They will square off Monday at 10:30 a.m., in a match that features the top two players in the Bulldogs' lineup from last season - Wagland at No. 1 and Pasha at No. 2.
"It's happened before, but it's a tough assignment to have two players in the final," said UGA coach Manuel Diaz. "Our guys have played some great tennis to get here. It's a big accomplishment."
In his first match of the day, No. 2-seeded Wagland outlasted Clemson's fifth-seeded Hunter Harrington, 6-7(4), 7-6(1), 6-1. Harrington led 4-0 in the second set before Wagland rallied to win and earn a spot in the semifinals against eighth-seeded teammate Austin Smith. Wagland won 6-4, 6-1, to set up an All-Georgia final with the No. 3 seed Pasha, who earlier in the day beat senior Hernus Pieters, 7-6(2), 6-2 and sophomore Nick Wood, 6-3, 7-5.
All five Georgia entries into the tournament reached the quarterfinals, and the semifinals included four Bulldogs.
"We wanted to start the fall with a good tournament, but I honestly never envisioned it being this good," Diaz said. "Four guys in the semifinals is really more impressive than two in the final. To do that is a big deal for us. I'm really pleased with where we are right now. Hopefully these guys will have a good match tomorrow."
In doubles, the nation's No. 2-ranked team of Pieters and Wagland advanced to the semifinals with an 8-5 win over Alabama's Sean Donohue and Nikko Madregallejo. Pieters and Wagland will face East Tennessee State's David Biosca and Roger Ordeig Monday at 9 a.m.
The Bulldog duo of Austin Smith and Nick Wood fell in the quarterfinals to Vanderbilt's Gonzales Austin and Ryan Lipman, 8-2.
With two players vying for the crown on Monday, it will mark Georgia's 20th Southern Intercollegiate title in the 46th playing of the tournament. The final will also feature the Bulldogs' two highest-ranked players. Wagland came in at No. 19 in the ITA preseason poll, while Pasha is No. 32.
Monday's Schedule
8 a.m. - Division II Doubles Semifinal (Winthrop vs. Mercer)
9 a.m. - Division I Doubles Semifinals (Georgia vs. ETSU; Vanderbilt vs. ETSU)
10:30 a.m. - Division I Singles Final (Pasha vs. Wagland)
Following singles: Division I Doubles Final
Georgia's Sunday Results
Division I Singles
Quarterfinals
Nick Wood, Georgia def. Rogerio Ribeiro, ETSU, 6-4, 6-2
[3] Nathan Pasha, Georgia def. [6] Hernus Pieters, Georgia, 7-6(2), 6-2
[8] Austin Smith, Georgia def. [4] Gonzales Austin, Vandy, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3
[2] Ben Wagland, Georgia def. [5] Hunter Harrington, Clemson, 6-7(4), 7-6(1), 6-1
Semifinals
[3] Nathan Pasha, Georgia def. Nick Wood, Georgia, 6-3, 7-5
[2] Ben Wagland, Georgia def. [8] Austin Smith, Georgia, 6-4, 6-1
Division I Doubles
Hernus Pieters/Ben Wagland, Georgia def. Sean Donohue/Nikko Madregallejo, Alabama, 8-5
Gonzales Austin/Ryan Lipman, Vandy def. Austin Smith/Nick Wood, Georgia, 8-2
