University of Georgia Athletics
University of Georgia
UC Santa Barbara
Georgia Tops UC Santa Barbara 4-1
January 23, 2016 | Men's Tennis
Walker Duncan, Wayne Montgomery and Coach Manuel Diaz talk about Georgia's win over UC Santa Barbara in the opening match of the ITA Kick-off Weekend.
Jan. 23, 2016
ATHENS, Ga. - The sixth-ranked Georgia men's tennis team (1-0) started off its 2016 season with a 4-1 victory over No. 48 UC Santa Barbara (1-3) on Saturday in the ITA Kickoff.
The Bulldogs will face No. 44 Memphis on Sunday at 5 p.m. at the Lindsey Hopkins Indoor Facility for a berth in the National Team Indoor Facility.
"I'm pleased with the result and that we were really challenged," said head coach Manuel Diaz. "I thought our guys had to play extremely well to earn that doubles point. Austin I thought played a complete match and Wayne got the job done without playing his best. It was great to see Walker clinch that as a freshman."
Georgia won a dramatic doubles point after taking matches on courts 1 and 2. Redshirt sophomore Paul Oosterbaan and freshman Jan Zielinski took the first match 6-2 over the Gauchos' Nicolas Moreno de Alboran/Chase Masciorini. After Georgia's No. 45 pair of Emil Reinberg and Wayne Montgomery fell to UC Santa Barbara's Anders Holm and Oliver Sec 6-2, the Bulldogs' top team clinched the point in a tiebreaker. Georgia's 10th-ranked Ben Wagland and Austin Smith defeated the Gaucho's Nathan Eshmade and Miles Seemann 7-6(6) ended by an emphatic overhead by Smith.
In singles, Georgia continued its strong play with back-to-back two-set victories at its top two positions. No. 28 Smith was first off the court with a quick 6-1, 6-4 win over Morgan Mays. Montgomery, ranked 20th nationally, topped the Gaucho's Nathan Eshmade 6-4, 6-3 to give the Bulldogs a 3-0 advantage. Freshman Walker Duncan (ranked No. 105) provided the match clincher for Georgia with his first career dual match victory over UC Santa Barbara's Oliver Sec, 7-5, 6-4.
Before the Georgia-Memphis match on Sunday, UC Santa Barbara will take on No. 37 Louisville in the consolation match at 9 a.m. on Sunday.
For more information on the Georgia men's tennis team, follow the team on Twitter (@UGATennis), Instagram (@ugatennis) and Facebook (UGA Men's Tennis).
Tennis Match Results
UC Santa Barbara vs Georgia
Jan 23, 2016 at Athens, Ga.
(Lindsey Hopkins Indoor Facility)
#6 Georgia 4, #48 UC Santa Barbara 1
Singles competition
- #28 Austin Smith (UGA) def. Morgan Mays (UCSB) 6-1, 6-4
- #20 Wayne Montgomery (UGA) def. Nathan Eshmade (UCSB) 6-4, 6-3
- N. Moreno de Alboran (UCSB) def. #40 Paul Oosterbaan (UGA) 7-5, 6-3
- #105 Walker Duncan (UGA) def. Oliver Sec (UCSB) 7-5, 6-4
- Jan Zielinski (UGA) vs. Cody Rakela (UCSB) 6-3, 2-3, unfinished
- Emil Reinberg (UGA) vs. Anders Holm (UCSB) 5-5, unfinished
Doubles competition
- #10 Austin Smith/Ben Wagland (UGA) def. Nathan Eshmade/Miles Seemann (UCSB) 7-6 (8-6)
- Paul Oosterbaan/Jan Zielinski (UGA) def. N. Moreno de Alboran/Chase Masciorini (UCSB) 6-2
- Anders Holm/Oliver Sec (UCSB) def. #45 Emil Reinberg/Wayne Montgomery (UGA) 6-2
Match Notes:
UC Santa Barbara 1-3; National ranking #48
Georgia 1-0; National ranking #6
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (1,2,4,3)
ITA Kickoff Match 2
Official: Paul Jones T-2:55 A-427
