University of Georgia Athletics
Thursday, March 2
Tuscaloosa, AL
5 p.m.
University of Georgia
at
Alabama
Bulldogs Open Conference Slate on Road
March 01, 2023 | Men's Tennis
ATHENS, Ga. – The ninth-ranked Georgia men's tennis team will begin Southeastern Conference play this week as it visits No. 58 Alabama on Thursday evening at the Alabama Tennis Stadium and No. 14 Auburn on Saturday afternoon at the Yarbrough Tennis Center.
#9 Georgia at #58 Alabama
Date: March 2, 2023
Time: 5 p.m. ET
Location: Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Venue: Alabama Tennis Stadium
#9 Georgia at #14 Auburn
Date: March 4, 2023
Time: 2 p.m. ET
Location: Auburn, Ala.
Venue: Yarbrough Tennis Center
MEDIA INFORMATION
UGA Season Stats: https://gado.gs/9xb
Live Video vs. Alabama: https://gado.gs/a5n
Live Stats vs. Alabama: https://gado.gs/a5o
Live Video vs. Auburn: https://gado.gs/a5p
Live Stats vs. Auburn: https://gado.gs/6it
Match Notes: https://gado.gs/a5w
Social Media
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Bulldogs by following UGA Men's Tennis on social media on Twitter and Instagram @UGATennis, on Facebook @UGAMensTennis, and online at GeorgiaDogs.com.
QUICK HITS
Conference Play Begins
The Bulldogs will begin their 12-match conference slate with a pair of road matches against Alabama and Auburn. This will be the first time that the team has traveled to the Crimson Tide or Tigers' facilities since 2021, where Georgia won both matches by a 4-3 result.
Following this weekend, Georgia will reach its seventh-straight match away from its home facility. The Bulldogs will return to the Dan Magill Tennis Complex for its first home conference matches next week, as the team plays host to No. 40 Texas A&M on Thursday, March 9 at 2:30 p.m. and No. 71 Vanderbilt on Saturday, March 11 at 1 p.m. ET. Admission for all matches at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex is free of charge for all fans to attend.
Georgia is one of three teams to finish in the top five of the SEC standings in each season since 2019 (Florida, Tennessee).
Diaz's Details
On starting SEC play…
"We're trying to be the best team we can be. I think our guys realize the importance of every single SEC contest. Everybody goes to the next level when it comes to focusing. The intensity at practice has gone way up. I think our guys are in a great spot and a great place. We learned a lot about our team and gained a lot of confidence with two top-10 wins at the ITA National Indoors, but now, it's time to take care of business. We have high expectations, but at the same time, we understand that everybody is going to really challenge us and there are no easy matches. Being ready, well-prepared, well rested and playing with that mindset that has yielded a lot of success for us is most important."
On facing Auburn, the nation's 14th-ranked team…
"This will be another great opportunity for us to prove ourselves while playing these first two SEC matches on the road, which will be an added challenge. We always expected Auburn to rise in the rankings. They are very well coached and a very talented team."
On how the team's seven-match stretch away from home will prepare them in the coming weeks…
"I think it seasons our team and toughens us a little bit. It hasn't all been smooth sailing, but we've learned and improved a lot. We're ready for the next challenge and looking forward to getting into our conference schedule."
Dawgs in the Rankings
In the first computerized team rankings, Georgia moved up to No. 8 following an impressive showing at the ITA National Team Indoor Championships. The Bulldogs now sit at No. 9 in the most recent team poll after going inactive last week. The SEC is the only conference with three teams ranked in the top 10 (No. 5 Kentucky, No. 6 South Carolina).
In the latest player rankings released on Feb. 21, Ethan Quinn was the highest-rated singles player for the team, moving up a spot to No. 4. Philip Henning was ranked No. 17, which makes Georgia one of four schools to have multiple singles players in the top 20. Blake Croyder and Trent Bryde bring the total of Bulldogs ranked in singles to four, appearing at No. 67 and No. 115 respectively.
Bryde and Quinn moved up five spots in the doubles ranking in the most updated release, now at No. 19 after going 3-1 in their previous four matches.
Lineup Consistency
At the ITA National Team Indoor Championships from Feb. 17-19, Coach Diaz fielded his fourth different singles lineup of the season for the team's three matches, going 2-1. No. 67 Croyder moved to court four, winning two of his three matches and earning a ranked win, while Teodor Giusca appeared at the fifth position, also going 2-1.
In singles, a combination of No. 4 Quinn, No. 17 Henning, No. 115 Bryde, No. 67 Croyder, Giusca and Miguel Perez Peña has appeared in all but one match together this season. No. 4 Quinn and No. 17 Henning have appeared at courts one and two respectively in every match.
The Bulldogs have fielded the same doubles lineup in the team's last 10 matches, winning the point in five of them. Georgia has had at least one win in doubles competition in all but two of the team's matches.
Straight-Set Wins
Georgia has straight-set victories in 19 of the team's 29 dual-match singles wins. No. 67 Croyder leads the team, with six of his seven wins coming in straight-set decisions. Of those 19 straight-set wins, nine of them came in matches that were 6-4, 6-4 or better. No. 67 Croyder, No. 17 Henning and Perez Peña all have three each, while No. 4 Quinn has one.
Last Year, Best Year
Five of Georgia's six wins this season have been clinched by seniors. Bryde has three, most recently clinching the team's round of 16 win at the ITA National Team Indoor Championships over No. 8 South Carolina's 67th-ranked Raphael Lambling. Henning claims the other two match-clinching wins, including the victory over Louisville's No. 36 Fabien Salle, earning the team a spot at the ITA National Indoor Championships.
In doubles, two pairs of redshirt seniors have manned courts two and three in each match this season. Giusca and Henning have three wins on court two, while Croyder and Britton Johnston have five victories on court three and are the only pair with double-digit wins on the team.
Three of the four Bulldogs to have at least five wins in the dual match season are also seniors, with Bryde, Croyder and Henning all reaching the mark. Croyder leads the team in dual-match wins with seven.
Scouting the Crimson Tide
No. 58 Alabama has two players ranked in singles – No. 51 Enzo Aguiard and No. 94 Filip Planinsek. No. 94 Planinsek has been the Crimson Tide's frequent choice for court one, going 8-4 in dual matches at the position, while No. 51 Aguiard has gone 9-2 on court two this season. The Crimson Tide are 8-5 this season and went 0-3 at the Blue-Gray Classic this past weekend, falling in 4-3 decisions to Oklahoma, Nebraska and Texas Tech.
Scouting the Tigers
No. 103 Tyler Stice is the lone athlete ranked in singles for No. 14 Auburn and is 7-4 on court one this year. The Tigers also have a ranked doubles pair in No. 46 Raul Dubai and Finn Murgett, who are 5-3 on court one together. Auburn jumped up 22 spots in the team rankings after beating No. 44 Texas Tech, No. 25 Middle Tennessee and No. 14 Arizona en route to the championship at the Blue-Gray Classic last weekend.
Series History
Georgia vs. Alabama – UGA leads, 58-7
Georgia vs. Auburn – UGA leads, 59-4
#9 Georgia at #58 Alabama
Date: March 2, 2023
Time: 5 p.m. ET
Location: Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Venue: Alabama Tennis Stadium
#9 Georgia at #14 Auburn
Date: March 4, 2023
Time: 2 p.m. ET
Location: Auburn, Ala.
Venue: Yarbrough Tennis Center
MEDIA INFORMATION
UGA Season Stats: https://gado.gs/9xb
Live Video vs. Alabama: https://gado.gs/a5n
Live Stats vs. Alabama: https://gado.gs/a5o
Live Video vs. Auburn: https://gado.gs/a5p
Live Stats vs. Auburn: https://gado.gs/6it
Match Notes: https://gado.gs/a5w
Social Media
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Bulldogs by following UGA Men's Tennis on social media on Twitter and Instagram @UGATennis, on Facebook @UGAMensTennis, and online at GeorgiaDogs.com.
QUICK HITS
Conference Play Begins
The Bulldogs will begin their 12-match conference slate with a pair of road matches against Alabama and Auburn. This will be the first time that the team has traveled to the Crimson Tide or Tigers' facilities since 2021, where Georgia won both matches by a 4-3 result.
Following this weekend, Georgia will reach its seventh-straight match away from its home facility. The Bulldogs will return to the Dan Magill Tennis Complex for its first home conference matches next week, as the team plays host to No. 40 Texas A&M on Thursday, March 9 at 2:30 p.m. and No. 71 Vanderbilt on Saturday, March 11 at 1 p.m. ET. Admission for all matches at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex is free of charge for all fans to attend.
Georgia is one of three teams to finish in the top five of the SEC standings in each season since 2019 (Florida, Tennessee).
Diaz's Details
On starting SEC play…
"We're trying to be the best team we can be. I think our guys realize the importance of every single SEC contest. Everybody goes to the next level when it comes to focusing. The intensity at practice has gone way up. I think our guys are in a great spot and a great place. We learned a lot about our team and gained a lot of confidence with two top-10 wins at the ITA National Indoors, but now, it's time to take care of business. We have high expectations, but at the same time, we understand that everybody is going to really challenge us and there are no easy matches. Being ready, well-prepared, well rested and playing with that mindset that has yielded a lot of success for us is most important."
On facing Auburn, the nation's 14th-ranked team…
"This will be another great opportunity for us to prove ourselves while playing these first two SEC matches on the road, which will be an added challenge. We always expected Auburn to rise in the rankings. They are very well coached and a very talented team."
On how the team's seven-match stretch away from home will prepare them in the coming weeks…
"I think it seasons our team and toughens us a little bit. It hasn't all been smooth sailing, but we've learned and improved a lot. We're ready for the next challenge and looking forward to getting into our conference schedule."
Dawgs in the Rankings
In the first computerized team rankings, Georgia moved up to No. 8 following an impressive showing at the ITA National Team Indoor Championships. The Bulldogs now sit at No. 9 in the most recent team poll after going inactive last week. The SEC is the only conference with three teams ranked in the top 10 (No. 5 Kentucky, No. 6 South Carolina).
In the latest player rankings released on Feb. 21, Ethan Quinn was the highest-rated singles player for the team, moving up a spot to No. 4. Philip Henning was ranked No. 17, which makes Georgia one of four schools to have multiple singles players in the top 20. Blake Croyder and Trent Bryde bring the total of Bulldogs ranked in singles to four, appearing at No. 67 and No. 115 respectively.
Bryde and Quinn moved up five spots in the doubles ranking in the most updated release, now at No. 19 after going 3-1 in their previous four matches.
Lineup Consistency
At the ITA National Team Indoor Championships from Feb. 17-19, Coach Diaz fielded his fourth different singles lineup of the season for the team's three matches, going 2-1. No. 67 Croyder moved to court four, winning two of his three matches and earning a ranked win, while Teodor Giusca appeared at the fifth position, also going 2-1.
In singles, a combination of No. 4 Quinn, No. 17 Henning, No. 115 Bryde, No. 67 Croyder, Giusca and Miguel Perez Peña has appeared in all but one match together this season. No. 4 Quinn and No. 17 Henning have appeared at courts one and two respectively in every match.
The Bulldogs have fielded the same doubles lineup in the team's last 10 matches, winning the point in five of them. Georgia has had at least one win in doubles competition in all but two of the team's matches.
Straight-Set Wins
Georgia has straight-set victories in 19 of the team's 29 dual-match singles wins. No. 67 Croyder leads the team, with six of his seven wins coming in straight-set decisions. Of those 19 straight-set wins, nine of them came in matches that were 6-4, 6-4 or better. No. 67 Croyder, No. 17 Henning and Perez Peña all have three each, while No. 4 Quinn has one.
Last Year, Best Year
Five of Georgia's six wins this season have been clinched by seniors. Bryde has three, most recently clinching the team's round of 16 win at the ITA National Team Indoor Championships over No. 8 South Carolina's 67th-ranked Raphael Lambling. Henning claims the other two match-clinching wins, including the victory over Louisville's No. 36 Fabien Salle, earning the team a spot at the ITA National Indoor Championships.
In doubles, two pairs of redshirt seniors have manned courts two and three in each match this season. Giusca and Henning have three wins on court two, while Croyder and Britton Johnston have five victories on court three and are the only pair with double-digit wins on the team.
Three of the four Bulldogs to have at least five wins in the dual match season are also seniors, with Bryde, Croyder and Henning all reaching the mark. Croyder leads the team in dual-match wins with seven.
Scouting the Crimson Tide
No. 58 Alabama has two players ranked in singles – No. 51 Enzo Aguiard and No. 94 Filip Planinsek. No. 94 Planinsek has been the Crimson Tide's frequent choice for court one, going 8-4 in dual matches at the position, while No. 51 Aguiard has gone 9-2 on court two this season. The Crimson Tide are 8-5 this season and went 0-3 at the Blue-Gray Classic this past weekend, falling in 4-3 decisions to Oklahoma, Nebraska and Texas Tech.
Scouting the Tigers
No. 103 Tyler Stice is the lone athlete ranked in singles for No. 14 Auburn and is 7-4 on court one this year. The Tigers also have a ranked doubles pair in No. 46 Raul Dubai and Finn Murgett, who are 5-3 on court one together. Auburn jumped up 22 spots in the team rankings after beating No. 44 Texas Tech, No. 25 Middle Tennessee and No. 14 Arizona en route to the championship at the Blue-Gray Classic last weekend.
Series History
Georgia vs. Alabama – UGA leads, 58-7
- Last five meetings:
- 04/17/22 in Athens: UGA, 5-2
- 03/12/21 in Tuscaloosa, Ala.: UGA, 4-3
- 03/29/19 in Athens: UGA, 4-1
- 04/06/18 in Tuscaloosa, Ala.: Alabama, 4-2
- 03/25/17 in Athens: UGA, 7-0
Georgia vs. Auburn – UGA leads, 59-4
- Last five meetings:
- 04/15/2022 in Athens: UGA, 4-3
- 03/14/2021 in Auburn, Ala.: UGA, 4-3
- 03/31/2019 in Athens: UGA, 4-1
- 04/01/2018 in Athens: UGA, 6-1
- 04/01/2017 in Auburn, Ala.: UGA, 4-0
Players Mentioned
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