University of Georgia Athletics
A Championship Doubles Debut
September 27, 2016 | Men's Tennis
By John Frierson
UGAAA Staff Writer
It was a week ago that Georgia men's tennis sophomores Walker Duncan and Jan Zielinski learned that they'd be playing doubles together in the Southern Intercollegiate Championships. Having never even practiced together before, the duo "did a bunch of drills and we played some practice sets" in the days leading up to the start of the event on Friday, Duncan said.
As debuts go, Duncan and Zielinski's was spectacular, culminating Monday afternoon at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex with the Southern Intercollegiate doubles title. The duo beat Florida's Maxx Lipman and Elliott Orkin in the final, 4-6, 7-5, 1-0 (10-5).
"We're just trying different things and we felt like this was a good strategy, the combination of their strengths and their skill sets," Georgia coach Manuel Diaz said. "I kind of felt pretty good about it."
Smart man.
Lipman and Orkin went 15-7 at No. 2 doubles for the Gators last spring, while their opponents Monday were 0-0 entering the weekend. Zielinski played only with Paul Oosterbaan last season, going 19-9, while Duncan didn't play doubles at all during the dual match season and went 6-6 with different partners last fall.
Oosterbaan is out with an injury, so Zielinski needed a partner — as did Duncan.
"We understand each other really good on the court," Zielinski said. "We cooperate really good on the court and we're not getting angry with each other. I feel like he's helping me all the time, even if I'm struggling, and I'm trying to build him up when he's struggling — we understand each other really good."
There were only two breaks of serve in the final: the Gators got a break in the first set and the Dogs got one in the second, sending the match to the 10-point tiebreaker to decide the champion. It was 4-4 in the tiebreaker when the Dogs took control.
A deep return by Duncan forced an Orkin miss, giving Georgia the mini-break and a 5-4 lead. Then, on Duncan's serve, Zielinski poached and put away a forehand volley, followed on the next point by a Zielinski overhead smash to make it 7-4. A hard shot toward the body of Orkin forced a miss, giving the Dogs four straight points and an 8-4 lead.
The Gators got the next point, but that was it. A Zielinski service winner made it 9-5 and on match point Duncan ended things emphatically with a powerful overhead. After getting behind 0-2 in the breaker, the Dog duo took 10 of the final 13 points.
"The key was to make balls, not overplay them," Zielinski said. "Just make balls and make them win the point. If they win the point, they have to earn that. ... That worked. We put the returns in and we put away the easy balls."
The victory in the final was more dramatic and likely more satisfying than Duncan and Zielinski's 6-3, 7-5 semifinal win, over teammates Wayne Montgomery and Robert Loeb. Montgomery and Loeb were a first-time pairing that worked out, as well.
The Dog on Dog match was well played and very cordial, with both sides quick to acknowledge a well-played point by the other side. On the outside it might seem like it would be weird to play a teammate head-to-head — it's not something that happens in many other sports — but that wasn't the case.
"It's not weird at all — it's the exact opposite, actually," said Montgomery, who was the two-time defending singles champion in the event before falling in Sunday's semifinal. "We play each other so much in practice and we know each others' games so well that, honestly, it's not weird at all. It's more fun; it's not so much a competition as playing for fun.
Said Duncan: "It was fun, man. It was really fun playing our friends, because there wasn't too much pressure. It was almost like practice and there were smiles all around. Jan and I just played well and we had our day today."
As the four Dogs went at it, Diaz and associate head coach Bo Hodge watched from just off the court. Unlike most matches, when they will often get heavily involved as coaches, Diaz and Hodge let their players play. But that doesn't mean the coaches weren't paying attention.
"We watched, and we watched with a very critical eye," said Diaz, who knows something about having to play a teammate in this event. In 1973, Diaz beat fellow Bulldog Bill Kopecky, 6-7, 6-3, 7-5, to win the first of his two titles. Diaz and Kopecky also teamed up to win the doubles that year.
"Georgia tennis, we've got a lot of depth and a lot of talent, and we a lot of times have to face each other in this event," Diaz added. "It's a little bit uncomfortable, but everybody understands that we're benefitting as a whole."
Part of the fall season is about figuring out doubles teams. Just because Duncan and Zielinski won the Southern Intercollegiate title doesn't guarantee that they'll be together in the spring. There will be more mixing and matching before any pairings are set.
"I think we showed a lot of good things," Duncan said, "but you've got to have three good teams (in the dual match season), so whatever those teams look like, I'm happy."
John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
Players Mentioned
