University of Georgia
ETSU
Georgia Shuts Out East Tennessee State, 9-0
March 19, 2015 | Men's Tennis
March 19, 2015
The fifth-ranked Georgia men's tennis team blanked East Tennessee State 9-0 in a hard fought match on Thursday at the Lindsey Hopkins Indoor Facility. The teams played eight singles matches in addition to the normal doubles allotment. The match was played indoors due to rain.
"There were so many close matches," said head coach Manuel Diaz. "We had a couple of days off this week in what was the first opportunity we've had to give our guys a second day off, and they needed it. Rest and recovery right now is very important in the middle of the season. We may not have been quite as sharp as we had hoped, but it really had more to do with ETSU playing such a great match."
The victory was the Bulldogs' eighth straight, its longest streak of the season and one shy of last season's nine game streak. The 9-0 victory was Georgia's second of the year after posting the same score against Furman on February 22. Previously, the team had not won 9-0 since 1992 against Georgia Tech.
After dropping the first doubles match 6-4 at No. 2, freshmen Wayne Montgomery and Paul Oosterbaan defeated ETSU's Conner Huertas and Diego Nunez 7-5. With the doubles point hanging in the balance, the Bulldogs' seventh-ranked pair of Austin Smith and Ben Wagland topped the David Biosca and Rogerio Ribeiro 6-4 at No. 1. Smith and Wagland move to 8-1 in doubles on the season.
The Bulldogs went on to win eight straight singles matches, beginning with No. 17 Montgomery's 6-4, 6-4 win over ETSU's Ribeiro at No. 2. Senior Nathan Pasha, ranked No. 15 nationally, defeated Huertas 4-6, 6-2, 7-6(5) at No. 3. Pasha's win was his team-leading ninth in a row in singles. Wagland followed with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 score over Sebastian Yllera at No. 4 to give Georgia the 4-0 advantage overall.
Smith, ranked No. 30, clinched the match for the Bulldogs in a third-set tiebreaker, 4-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(2). Smith's victory at No. 1 was his fourth clinch of the year, tied for a team lead with junior Nick Wood. Oosterbaan then notched his sixth straight singles victory with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Robert Herrera at No. 5.
Freshman Peter Bertran extended Georgia's lead to 7-0 in straight sets over Diego Nunez, 6-2, 6-1. Senior Eric Diaz continued the scoring with a 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 win over the Buccaneers' Ismael Merino at No. 6. Freshman Andy Martinez impressed in his first dual match action of the season claiming a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Ricardo Pabon to earn the Bulldogs' ninth and final point.
Georgia returns to action on Sunday against South Carolina at 1 p.m. at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex.
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Tennis Match Results
East Tennessee State vs Georgia
March 19, 2015 at Athens, Ga.
(Lindsey Hopkins Indoor Facility)
#5 Georgia 9, East Tennessee State 0
Singles competition
1. #30 Austin Smith (UGA) def. David Biosca (ETSU) 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-2)
2. #17 Wayne Montgomery (UGA) def. Rogerio Ribeiro (ETSU) 6-4, 6-4
3. #15 Nathan Pasha (UGA) def. Conner Huertas (ETSU) 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7-2)
4. Ben Wagland (UGA) def. Sebastian Yllera (ETSU) 4-6, 6-4, 6-4
5. Paul Oosterbaan (UGA) def. Robert Herrera (ETSU) 6-2, 6-4
6. Eric Diaz (UGA) def. Ismael Merino (ETSU) 3-6, 6-1, 6-4
7. Peter Bertran (UGA) def. Diego Nunez (ETSU) 6-2, 6-1
8. Andy Martinez (UGA) def. Ricardo Pabon (ETSU) 6-3, 6-2
Doubles competition
1. #7 Austin Smith/Ben Wagland (UGA) def. David Biosca/Rogerio Ribeiro (ETSU) 6-4
2. Robert Herrera/Ismael Merino (ETSU) def. #70 Eric Diaz/Nathan Pasha (UGA) 6-4
3. Wayne Montgomery/Paul Oosterbaan (UGA) def. Conner Huertas/Diego Nunez (ETSU) 7-5
Match Notes:
East Tennessee State 4-7
Georgia 14-2; National ranking #5
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (2,3,4,1,5,7,6,8)
Official: Clark Weaver T-4:49 A-196
