University of Georgia Athletics
Friday, March 29
Athens, Ga.
5 p.m.
University of Georgia
vs
No. 20 South Carolina
Photo by: Tony Walsh/UGAAA
Bulldogs Host Final Regular Season Home Matches Against No. 20 South Carolina, Florida
March 28, 2024 | Men's Tennis
ATHENS, Ga. — The No. 34 Georgia men's tennis team will play in its final home matches of the regular season this weekend, hosting No. 20 South Carolina on Friday, March at 5 p.m. ET for head coach Manuel Diaz's retirement celebration and No. 32 Florida on Sunday, March 31 at 1 p.m. at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex.
No. 34 GEORGIA (10-9, 3-4 SEC) VS. No. 20 SOUTH CAROLINA (10-9, 3-4 SEC)
Coach Diaz Retirement Celebration
Date: March 29, 2024
Time: 5 p.m. ET
Location: Athens, Ga.
Venue: Dan Magill Tennis Complex
Promotion: Coach Diaz t-shirt for first 100 fans
Live Stats + Video: https://gado.gs/8mk
CrackedRacquets CrossCourt Cast: https://gado.gs/bnb
Celebration Festivities Post-Match
No. 34 GEORGIA (10-9, 3-4 SEC) VS. No. 32 FLORIDA (9-9, 3-5 SEC)
Date: March 31, 2024
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Location: Athens, Ga.
Venue: Dan Magill Tennis Complex
Promotion: Easter egg hunt
Live Stats + Video: https://gado.gs/8mk
CrackedRacquets CrossCourt Cast: https://gado.gs/bnc
MEDIA INFORMATION
Georgia Season Stats: https://gado.gs/b9y
South Carolina Season Stats: https://gado.gs/bne
Florida Season Stats: https://gado.gs/bnd
BULLDOGS BULLETIN
Coach Diaz Retirement Celebration: This weekend will mark the final home matches for the legendary head coach Diaz, who has led the Georgia men's tennis program for 36 seasons. The program will honor him following the team's match against South Carolina.
In his time with the Bulldogs, Coach Diaz has been named the SEC coach of the year seven times, with his teams winning 29 SEC championships, reaching the NCAA quarterfinals 27 times and winning a total of six National Championships. Coach Diaz will be retiring this year as the SEC's all-time winningest coach.
The First Serve: Georgia owns a 42-10 record all-time against South Carolina. The Bulldogs hold a 20-match home win streak against the Gamecocks, winning all previous meetings in Athens dating back to April 22, 1989. South Carolina has never swept Georgia in any of its 10 wins, while the Bulldogs have swept the Gamecocks 14 times across 42 victories. South Carolina's best win this season came at home over the two-time defending national champion Virginia Cavaliers, beating it 4-3 on Jan. 21.
Georgia and Florida have played in 97 matches against each other, the most total dual matches against a single team in program history. The Bulldogs are 65-32 all-time against the Gators, beating them twice in the 2023 season – in Gainesville to clinch the program's 32nd regular season SEC Championship and in the quarterfinals of the SEC Championships.
Dawgs in the Rankings: In the Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings that were updated on Tuesday, March 26, Georgia moved up to No. 34 in the country as a team.
In singles, a trio of Bulldogs are featured in the rankings, led by No. 58 Ryan Colby, who man's court two and holds nine ranked wins on the year. He is followed by the team's choice for the top court, No. 61 Thomas Paulsell, and court four, No. 81 Miguel Perez Peña.
Classic City Colby: Colby has continued to impress during the dual-match season. The junior has primarily played on court two for the first time in his career, where he is 9-4, winning 10 matches in straight sets. He earned his highest-ranked win in the fall over Texas' No. 17 Micah Braswell to begin his Georgia career. Colby is 9-5 against ranked opponents this year, good for second most in the conference, after starting his career 2-3.
Locking Down Court Two: Georgia has gone 13-5 in its matches on court two, putting it at the third-highest winning percentage in the SEC (.722). Three Bulldogs have won on court two this season – Colby (9-4), whose best win in the position came against Wake Forest's No. 53 DK Suresh Ekambaram, Niels Ratiu (3-0), who beat Georgia State's Gabriele Datei in straight sets, and Perez Peña (1-0), beating Georgia Tech's Keshav Chopra on Feb. 6.
Dynamic in Doubles: Freddy Blaydes and Ratiu have proved to be a strong pairing together. As freshmen playing on the top court, they are 4-1 in their last five matches including a career-best win against Arkansas' No. 29 Bozo Barun and Jared Harwood on March 24. On court two, the Bulldog pair Paulsell and Colby are 3-0 in SEC play. They are among only four other pairs in the SEC that are currently undefeated in the conference.
Freshman of the Week: Ratiu was named the Southeastern Conference Co-Freshman of the Week on March 27. The award marks the first time this season that a Bulldog has earned a weekly award from the SEC. The Liège, Belgium native shared the honor with Alabama's Andrii Zimnokh.
"I'm happy to have won the award," Ratiu said. "It is an honor to be recognized for my work and it encourages me to do more. I'm just happy that I was able to help the team get the three wins this past weekend. I'm just trying to be me and play my game. I know what I'm capable of - I know that if I keep going and keep playing this well, the future can be bright."
Ratiu anchored Georgia with clinching performances against two ranked opponents in doubles this past weekend. His victories on court one in doubles and court three in singles were the clinching points of the competition, marking the second point-clinching win in doubles and first match-clinching win in singles of his collegiate career.
In his last ten matches, Ratiu has gone 7-3 against his opponents, closing out six of those wins in straight sets, giving him the best record on the team in that span. He has accumulated a 10-5 dual match record – also good for the most wins on the team. His 14 three-set matches are also the most on the team, while his 11-2 record in straight sets this year gives him the best winning percentage of any Bulldog.
Last Time Out: The No. 40 Georgia men's tennis team won both of its doubleheader matches by sweeps on Sunday, defeating No. 48 Arkansas, 4-0, and The Citadel, 7-0.
No. 58 Colby earned his second clinch as a Bulldog in the team's win over the Razorbacks. In doubles, Blaydes and Ratiu clinched the point over Arkansas' No. 29 Barun and Horwood, 6-2.
Georgia used the momentum from their sweep over Arkansas to propel them into their second match of the afternoon against the Citadel. No. 81 Perez Peña landed his first clinching win of the season on court one. Perez Peña's 21st victory of the season, which ties him with Cyrus Mahjoob for most on the team, helped lift Georgia to a 7-0 win.
Hunt Named Next Head Coach: Former Bulldog All-American and National Champion Jamie Hunt has been named the next head coach of the Georgia men's tennis program and will begin serving in that role at the conclusion of the 2023-24 season, J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics Josh Brooks announced on Tuesday, Feb. 27.
Hunt is currently in his seventh season as the associate head coach on Georgia's staff. Hunt will become the third head coach in the modern history of the program dating back to 1955, replacing the legendary Diaz, who recently announced his retirement.
Hunt played for Coach Diaz from 2007-2010 and helped lead Georgia to a pair of national championships. He returned to his alma mater in 2017 to serve as the program's associate head coach and recruiting coordinator.
Under Hunt's leadership, Georgia has signed a top-10 class in all but one season — the No. 2 class in 2018, No. 3 in 2019, No. 10 in 2021 and most recently bringing in the top-ranked class in 2023. That recruiting success has translated to the court.
During the 2022-23 campaign, Hunt helped lead Georgia to a Southeastern Conference Championship with a perfect 12-0 mark in league play. The Bulldogs advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals, and freshman Ethan Quinn captured the program's fifth NCAA singles title, joining all-time greats Mikael Pernfors (1984, 1985) and Matias Boeker (2001, 2002).
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Bulldogs by following UGA Men's tennis on Facebook, Instagram and X @UGATennis or check out information online at georgiadogs.com.
No. 34 GEORGIA (10-9, 3-4 SEC) VS. No. 20 SOUTH CAROLINA (10-9, 3-4 SEC)
Coach Diaz Retirement Celebration
Date: March 29, 2024
Time: 5 p.m. ET
Location: Athens, Ga.
Venue: Dan Magill Tennis Complex
Promotion: Coach Diaz t-shirt for first 100 fans
Live Stats + Video: https://gado.gs/8mk
CrackedRacquets CrossCourt Cast: https://gado.gs/bnb
Celebration Festivities Post-Match
No. 34 GEORGIA (10-9, 3-4 SEC) VS. No. 32 FLORIDA (9-9, 3-5 SEC)
Date: March 31, 2024
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Location: Athens, Ga.
Venue: Dan Magill Tennis Complex
Promotion: Easter egg hunt
Live Stats + Video: https://gado.gs/8mk
CrackedRacquets CrossCourt Cast: https://gado.gs/bnc
MEDIA INFORMATION
Georgia Season Stats: https://gado.gs/b9y
South Carolina Season Stats: https://gado.gs/bne
Florida Season Stats: https://gado.gs/bnd
BULLDOGS BULLETIN
Coach Diaz Retirement Celebration: This weekend will mark the final home matches for the legendary head coach Diaz, who has led the Georgia men's tennis program for 36 seasons. The program will honor him following the team's match against South Carolina.
In his time with the Bulldogs, Coach Diaz has been named the SEC coach of the year seven times, with his teams winning 29 SEC championships, reaching the NCAA quarterfinals 27 times and winning a total of six National Championships. Coach Diaz will be retiring this year as the SEC's all-time winningest coach.
The First Serve: Georgia owns a 42-10 record all-time against South Carolina. The Bulldogs hold a 20-match home win streak against the Gamecocks, winning all previous meetings in Athens dating back to April 22, 1989. South Carolina has never swept Georgia in any of its 10 wins, while the Bulldogs have swept the Gamecocks 14 times across 42 victories. South Carolina's best win this season came at home over the two-time defending national champion Virginia Cavaliers, beating it 4-3 on Jan. 21.
Georgia and Florida have played in 97 matches against each other, the most total dual matches against a single team in program history. The Bulldogs are 65-32 all-time against the Gators, beating them twice in the 2023 season – in Gainesville to clinch the program's 32nd regular season SEC Championship and in the quarterfinals of the SEC Championships.
Dawgs in the Rankings: In the Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings that were updated on Tuesday, March 26, Georgia moved up to No. 34 in the country as a team.
In singles, a trio of Bulldogs are featured in the rankings, led by No. 58 Ryan Colby, who man's court two and holds nine ranked wins on the year. He is followed by the team's choice for the top court, No. 61 Thomas Paulsell, and court four, No. 81 Miguel Perez Peña.
Classic City Colby: Colby has continued to impress during the dual-match season. The junior has primarily played on court two for the first time in his career, where he is 9-4, winning 10 matches in straight sets. He earned his highest-ranked win in the fall over Texas' No. 17 Micah Braswell to begin his Georgia career. Colby is 9-5 against ranked opponents this year, good for second most in the conference, after starting his career 2-3.
Locking Down Court Two: Georgia has gone 13-5 in its matches on court two, putting it at the third-highest winning percentage in the SEC (.722). Three Bulldogs have won on court two this season – Colby (9-4), whose best win in the position came against Wake Forest's No. 53 DK Suresh Ekambaram, Niels Ratiu (3-0), who beat Georgia State's Gabriele Datei in straight sets, and Perez Peña (1-0), beating Georgia Tech's Keshav Chopra on Feb. 6.
Dynamic in Doubles: Freddy Blaydes and Ratiu have proved to be a strong pairing together. As freshmen playing on the top court, they are 4-1 in their last five matches including a career-best win against Arkansas' No. 29 Bozo Barun and Jared Harwood on March 24. On court two, the Bulldog pair Paulsell and Colby are 3-0 in SEC play. They are among only four other pairs in the SEC that are currently undefeated in the conference.
Freshman of the Week: Ratiu was named the Southeastern Conference Co-Freshman of the Week on March 27. The award marks the first time this season that a Bulldog has earned a weekly award from the SEC. The Liège, Belgium native shared the honor with Alabama's Andrii Zimnokh.
"I'm happy to have won the award," Ratiu said. "It is an honor to be recognized for my work and it encourages me to do more. I'm just happy that I was able to help the team get the three wins this past weekend. I'm just trying to be me and play my game. I know what I'm capable of - I know that if I keep going and keep playing this well, the future can be bright."
Ratiu anchored Georgia with clinching performances against two ranked opponents in doubles this past weekend. His victories on court one in doubles and court three in singles were the clinching points of the competition, marking the second point-clinching win in doubles and first match-clinching win in singles of his collegiate career.
In his last ten matches, Ratiu has gone 7-3 against his opponents, closing out six of those wins in straight sets, giving him the best record on the team in that span. He has accumulated a 10-5 dual match record – also good for the most wins on the team. His 14 three-set matches are also the most on the team, while his 11-2 record in straight sets this year gives him the best winning percentage of any Bulldog.
Last Time Out: The No. 40 Georgia men's tennis team won both of its doubleheader matches by sweeps on Sunday, defeating No. 48 Arkansas, 4-0, and The Citadel, 7-0.
No. 58 Colby earned his second clinch as a Bulldog in the team's win over the Razorbacks. In doubles, Blaydes and Ratiu clinched the point over Arkansas' No. 29 Barun and Horwood, 6-2.
Georgia used the momentum from their sweep over Arkansas to propel them into their second match of the afternoon against the Citadel. No. 81 Perez Peña landed his first clinching win of the season on court one. Perez Peña's 21st victory of the season, which ties him with Cyrus Mahjoob for most on the team, helped lift Georgia to a 7-0 win.
Hunt Named Next Head Coach: Former Bulldog All-American and National Champion Jamie Hunt has been named the next head coach of the Georgia men's tennis program and will begin serving in that role at the conclusion of the 2023-24 season, J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics Josh Brooks announced on Tuesday, Feb. 27.
Hunt is currently in his seventh season as the associate head coach on Georgia's staff. Hunt will become the third head coach in the modern history of the program dating back to 1955, replacing the legendary Diaz, who recently announced his retirement.
Hunt played for Coach Diaz from 2007-2010 and helped lead Georgia to a pair of national championships. He returned to his alma mater in 2017 to serve as the program's associate head coach and recruiting coordinator.
Under Hunt's leadership, Georgia has signed a top-10 class in all but one season — the No. 2 class in 2018, No. 3 in 2019, No. 10 in 2021 and most recently bringing in the top-ranked class in 2023. That recruiting success has translated to the court.
During the 2022-23 campaign, Hunt helped lead Georgia to a Southeastern Conference Championship with a perfect 12-0 mark in league play. The Bulldogs advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals, and freshman Ethan Quinn captured the program's fifth NCAA singles title, joining all-time greats Mikael Pernfors (1984, 1985) and Matias Boeker (2001, 2002).
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Bulldogs by following UGA Men's tennis on Facebook, Instagram and X @UGATennis or check out information online at georgiadogs.com.
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