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Georgia Takes Down No. 4 Ohio State
March 20, 2016 | Men's Tennis
In this highlight package, Paul Oosterbaan and Coach Diaz talk about the team needing a team effort to pull out the victory against a tough Ohio St. squad.
Georgia Takes Down No. 4 Ohio State
ATHENS, Ga. - The 19th-ranked Georgia men's tennis team scored an upset on its home court on Sunday as the Bulldogs (10-3) defeated No. 4 Ohio State (16-2) 4-2 in front of a big crowd at the Dan Magill Tennis complex.
Ohio State is the highest-ranked team Georgia has beaten this season. The victory extends the Bulldogs' 2016 home record to 8-0 and Georgia moves to (14-4) all-time against the Buckeyes.
"I'm very proud of our guys," Georgia head coach Manny Diaz said. "We knew Ohio State has a great team and that we had to play our very best. I think we are coming of age and we are seeing our guys getting tougher, getting better and getting more confidence. Today was a great opportunity and our team was willing to step up and play big tennis when it mattered."
Georgia came out strong in doubles in front of a vocal crowd. The Bulldogs' pair of Paul Oosterbaan set the tone early with a 6-3 victory over Ohio State's 13th-ranked pair of Relf Steinbach and Martin Joyce at No. 2. Georgia fifth-ranked duo of seniors Ben Wagland and Austin Smith finished with a break at No. 1 as the pair defeated No. 11 Mikael Torpegaard and Hekko Pollanen 6-3. The Bulldogs No. 3 pair was leading 4-3 when their match match was suspended.
Ohio State evened the overall score with a singles victory at No. 1, but Georgia's 25th-ranked Wayne Montgomery gave the Bulldogs a 2-1 advantage with a 7-5, 6-3 win over No. 24 Hugo Di Feo. The Buckeyes knotted the score at 2-all with a three-set win at No. 4. Bulldog senior Nick Wood earned a 6-2, 6-7, 6-2 victory over No. 46 Hekko Pollanen to set up the Georgia clinch. Oosterbaan came through in a third set over No. 65 Chris Diaz 7-6(4), 5-7, 6-4 to clinch the match for Georgia for the second time this spring.
Georgia will remain home next weekend to face Tennessee on Friday at 5 p.m. and Kentucky on Sunday at 1 p.m. The Bulldogs will return to SEC action as the only SEC team without a conference loss.
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Tennis Match Results
Ohio State vs Georgia
Mar 16, 2016 at Athens, Ga.
(Dan Magill Tennis Complex)
#19 Georgia 4, #4 Ohio State 2
Singles competition
1. #5 Mikael Torpegaard (OSU) def. #27 Austin Smith (UGA) 6-4, 6-2
2. #25 Wayne Montgomery (UGA) def. #24 Hugo Di Feo (OSU) 7-5, 6-3
3. Paul Oosterbaan (UGA) def. #65 Chris Diaz (OSU) 7-6 (7-4), 5-7, 6-4
4. Relf Steinbach (OSU) def. #120 Walker Duncan (UGA) 5-7, 6-2, 7-5
5. Nick Wood (UGA) def. #46 Hekko Pollanen (OSU) 6-2, 6-7, 6-2
6. Jan Zielinski (UGA) vs. Martin Joyce (OSU) 4-6, 7-6, 6-6, unfinished
Doubles competition
1. #5 Ben Wagland/Austin Smith (UGA) def. #11 Mikael Torpegaard/Hekko Pollanen (OSU) 6-3
2. Paul Oosterbaan/Jan Zielinski (UGA) def. #13 Relf Steinbach/Martin Joyce (OSU) 6-3
3. #62 Wayne Montgomery/Emil Reinberg (UGA) vs. Matt Mendez/Hugo Di Feo (OSU) 4-3, unfinished
Match Notes:
Ohio State 16-2; National ranking #4
Georgia 10-3; National ranking #19
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1); Singles (1,2,4,5,3)
Official: Clark Weaver T-3:11 A-1010
Players Mentioned
