University of Georgia Athletics
University of Georgia
Arkansas
Bulldogs Battle For 42nd SEC Crown
April 17, 2019 | Men's Tennis
Full Notes Packet | Live Video/Stats
ATHENS, Ga. — The Georgia men's tennis team heads to Gainesville, Florida this week to begin postseason play at the 2019 Southeastern Conference Tournament.
As the No. 5 overall seed, the Bulldogs will take on the Arkansas versus Auburn winner this Thursday at 6 p.m. ET at the Alfred A. Ring Tennis Complex.
Georgia SEC Tournament Notebook
Bulldogs' History Unmatched
Georgia comes into this year's tournament in search of its 42nd SEC championship in program history. Under legendary coach Dan Magill and now Hall of Fame coach Manuel Diaz, the Bulldogs have earned 31 SEC regular season titles and 10 tournament crowns. Under Diaz, Georgia has won 28 combined regular season and tournament championships in 30 years.
Looking to Host
This year's Georgia squad enters Thursday's match ranked No. 17 nationally and still in the running to host NCAA first and second rounds, with the top 16 national seeds earning host bids. The Bulldogs have won five of their last six contests entering this year's SEC tournament.
Playing the Best
The Bulldogs have played each of the top three teams and five of the top eight in the latest ITA rankings. Six of Georgia's nine losses this season have come against teams ranked 11th or higher in this week's rankings.
Zielinski Leads
Senior Jan Zielinski leads the Bulldogs at the No. 1 singles and doubles courts. The 2017 ITA All-American and two-time All-SEC performer paces Georgia with a 28-12 overall singles record and an 18-10 mark in doubles.
Duncan Red-Hot as of Late
Bulldog senior Walker Duncan has won seven singles matches in a row and owns an 8-1 record in his last nine matches. The Atlanta native also leads the Bulldogs against SEC competition with a team-best 8-3 record against league opponents.
Fabulous Freshmen
A trio of freshmen — Trent Bryde, Blake Croyder and Philip Henning — have each seen time in the lineup and have made an impact for the Bulldogs this season. This past week, Henning earned his second SEC Freshman of the Week honor after he went 3-1 in singles and doubles play in a pair of matches. Croyder earned SEC Freshman of the Week on March 31 and owns a perfect 3-0 record against conference opponents this season.
In Search of 700
Diaz — the Bulldogs' head coach — enters postseason play with 698 career victories and a win percentage of 80.6 percent over the last 30 years. He is just shy of Magill's Georgia and SEC record of 706 career victories.
Series History
Georgia owns a 31-3 all-time series record over Arkansas, with the Bulldogs earning a 6-1 win against the Razorbacks earlier this month. Georgia is 57-4 all-time against Auburn after defeating the Tigers, 4-1, in Athens on March 31.
Players Mentioned
