University of Georgia Athletics
Friday, March 8
Athens, Ga.
2 p.m.
University of Georgia
vs
No. 21 Alabama
Photo by: Tony Walsh/UGAAA
Georgia Returns Home for Pair of Doubleheaders
March 07, 2024 | Men's Tennis
ATHENS, Ga. — The No. 48 Georgia men's tennis team returns to the Dan Magill Tennis Complex for a pair of doubleheaders this weekend featuring two conference matches. The Bulldogs will host No. 21 Alabama on Friday at 2 p.m. ET and take on South Carolina State in the day's second match, while on Sunday the team plays No. 35 Auburn at 1 p.m. and Georgia State at 5 p.m.
No. 48 GEORGIA VS. No. 21 ALABAMA
Date: March 8, 2024
Time: 2 p.m. ET
Location: Athens, Ga.
Venue: Dan Magill Tennis Complex
Live Stats + Video: https://gado.gs/8mk
No. 48 GEORGIA VS. SOUTH CAROLINA STATE
Date: March 8, 2024
Time: 5 p.m. ET
Location: Athens, Ga.
Venue: Dan Magill Tennis Complex
Live Stats + Video: https://gado.gs/8mk
CrackedRacquets CrossCourt Cast: https://gado.gs/bii
No. 48 GEORGIA VS. No. 35 AUBURN
Date: March 10, 2024
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Location: Athens, Ga.
Venue: Dan Magill Tennis Complex
Live Stats + Video: https://gado.gs/8mk
CrackedRacquets CrossCourt Cast: https://gado.gs/bij
No. 48 GEORGIA VS. GEORGIA STATE
Date: March 10, 2024
Time: 5 p.m. ET
Location: Athens, Ga.
Venue: Dan Magill Tennis Complex
Live Stats + Video: https://gado.gs/8mk
CrackedRacquets CrossCourt Cast: https://gado.gs/bij
MEDIA INFORMATION
Georgia Season Stats: https://gado.gs/b9y
Alabama Season Stats: https://gado.gs/bik
South Carolina State Season Stats Not Available
Auburn Season Stats: https://gado.gs/bil
Georgia State Season Stats: https://gado.gs/bim
BULLDOGS BULLETIN
The First Serve: The Bulldogs return to the Dan Magill Tennis Complex for two doubleheaders, including a pair of Southeastern Conference matches.
Georgia's conference opponents, No. 21 Alabama and No. 35 Auburn hold a combined 125-11 record against the Bulldogs. Georgia is currently riding a 21-match home winning streak against the Crimson Tide, with its last loss in Athens against Alabama coming on April 14, 1983. The Bulldogs hold a similarly impressive streak against Auburn, having won the last 14 matches against the Tigers.
The second matches on Friday and Sunday will come against South Carolina State and Georgia State respectively. South Carolina State has played Georgia three times, all in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Athens, with Georgia winning 4-0 in each match. The second match on Friday will mark the first regular-season meeting between the programs. Georgia State will play in its first dual match against Georgia since 2009 on Sunday. The Panthers and Bulldogs have faced off 13 times, with Georgia sweeping its opponent in nine of those matches.
Last Time Out: Georgia began SEC play last weekend on the road, falling to No. 5 Tennessee and No. 26 Mississippi State by 6-1 and 4-3 scores respectively.
Despite a strong showing in doubles from the Bulldogs, the Volunteers took the point after winning on courts one and two. Georgia kept its singles matches close throughout the first set but was unable to battle back to find the win. The Bulldogs lost matches on courts four, six and one, allowing the Volunteers to clinch the match. The teams played out the remaining ongoing contests, where No. 77 Miguel Perez Peña was able to win his 16th match of the season. The junior defeated Chris Li, 6-3, 5-7, 10-5, to get the Bulldogs on the board.
Against Mississippi State, Georgia was unable to capture the doubles point, which proved to be the difference as it won three of the six singles matches.
In singles competition, Cyrus Mahjoob picked up the third first set for Georgia after winning three straight games on court six. Niels Ratiu was the first match to finish, picking up his 12th win of the year after fending off three break points to earn the 6-2, 6-4 victory. Mahjoob followed with a 7-5, 6-1 win of his own, putting Georgia up in the match 2-1. Mississippi State went on to take matches on courts three, two and five to clinch the win.
Dawgs in the Rankings: Georgia enters the week ranked No. 48 nationally by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. The Southeastern Conference features 11 schools in the top 50. Three of Georgia's players remain ranked in singles, with Ryan Colby sitting atop the roster's rankings at No. 65. He is joined by No. 82 ThomasPaulsell and No. 100 Perez Peña.
Scouting the Crimson Tide: Alabama currently stands at No. 21 in the ITA Team Rankings with wins over No. 5 Kentucky, No. 50 Northwestern, No. 32 Southern California and No. 35 Auburn. The Crimson Tide qualified for the ITA National Team Indoor Championships for the first time since 2010 after winning the ITA Kickoff Weekend Lexington Regional. The team is 0-1 in SEC play, dropping their rematch with the Kentucky Wildcats last weekend.
The Crimson Tide's roster features two players ranked in singles, led by the team's choice for court one, No. 46 Filip Planinsek. No. 46 Planinsek is 7-5 on the top court with a 3-3 record against ranked opponents. He is joined in the singles rankings by No. 69 Enzo Aguiard, who is 5-5 on court two this season. In doubles, Planinsek is joined by Andrii Zimnokh on court one to form the nation's No. 74-ranked pair.
Scouting SCSU's Bulldogs: South Carolina State is currently 3-4 on the year, with wins over Coastal Carolina, Wofford and Presbyterian. The team returns six players from its 2023 roster, which finished the year 10-10 overall after falling in the first round of the NCAA Tournament against South Carolina. SCSU finished with a 5-0 mark in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play, winning the conference for the 17th time in program history, including in 15 of the last 18 seasons.
Scouting the Tigers: Auburn stands 10-4 this season with losses to No. 12 Texas A&M, No. 49 Notre Dame, No. 16 Michigan State and No. 18 Alabama. The Tigers rose nine spots in the team poll since Feb. 20, adding wins against Middle Tennessee State, Ole Miss and UAB.
While the team has no players ranked in doubles, two student-athletes are represented in doubles. No. 40 Tyler Stice plays on court one, where he is 6-3 this season and 10-6 overall. Following him is No. 73 Finn Murgett, who holds a perfect 10-0 record in the spring with a 6-0 mark on court two.
Scouting the Panthers: Georgia State has opened the year with a 5-7 mark, with all five of its wins coming at home. The Panthers dropped both of their road matches against No. 28 Georgia Tech and No. 13 Florida State by a 6-1 margin. The team returns three players from last year's roster that finished 8-16. Georgia State participated in the 55th annual Southern Intercollegiate Championships this past fall, where Georgia went 3-0 in singles against the Panthers.
Classic City Colby: Colby has started the dual-match season in impressive fashion. The junior has primarily played on court two for the first time in his career, where he has five, winning four matches in straight sets.
Colby ended the fall with career-best singles and doubles rankings of No. 36 and No. 25 with Ratiu respectively. He earned his highest-ranked win at the Longhorn Invitational over No. 17 Micah Braswell to begin his Georgia career. Colby is 7-3 against ranked opponents this year after starting his career 2-3.
Diaz Announces Retirement: Legendary men's tennis head coach Manuel Diaz, the SEC's all-time leader in career wins who has guided Georgia to 29 conference championships, four NCAA national titles and a pair of ITA indoor national championships in 36 years, announced on Thursday, Feb. 22, that he will retire after the current 2023-24 season.
Diaz has a 46-year association with the Georgia men's tennis program. He was a two-time All-American during his playing days from 1972-75 and then served on Coach Dan Magill's staff as an assistant/associate head coach from 1982-88. He has been a part of each of Georgia's national championship teams and has won SEC Championships in each of the last five decades.
"It's a difficult decision to step away from something that has been such a huge part of my life and that I've loved for so long," Diaz said. "Georgia tennis has given me so much, and I want to thank all our fans from all over the world."
Diaz has been at the helm of the Georgia men's tennis program since the 1988-89 season, following the retirement of his mentor, Dan Magill. During his tenure, Diaz has established the Bulldogs as a blueblood in the sport, capturing four NCAA Team Championships while appearing in the NCAA finals 11 times and winning two Intercollegiate Tennis Association Team National Indoor Championships.
Georgia has reached the NCAA Tournament in all 35 seasons under his leadership, advancing to the quarterfinals in 27 of those trips to the postseason. His players have captured eight individual NCAA Championships — three in doubles and five in singles. Most recently, Ethan Quinn won the NCAA singles title in 2023. Diaz has led the program to 10 SEC Tournament titles and 19 regular season crowns. Every four-year letterman has won at least one SEC Championship ring while playing at Georgia for Coach Diaz.
With 771 victories to date, Diaz is the all-time winningest coach in SEC history. He has been awarded seven conference Coach of the Year trophies, eight ITA Southeast Region Coach of the Year honors and three ITA National Coach of the Year awards.
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 Manuel 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. 48 GEORGIA VS. No. 21 ALABAMA
Date: March 8, 2024
Time: 2 p.m. ET
Location: Athens, Ga.
Venue: Dan Magill Tennis Complex
Live Stats + Video: https://gado.gs/8mk
No. 48 GEORGIA VS. SOUTH CAROLINA STATE
Date: March 8, 2024
Time: 5 p.m. ET
Location: Athens, Ga.
Venue: Dan Magill Tennis Complex
Live Stats + Video: https://gado.gs/8mk
CrackedRacquets CrossCourt Cast: https://gado.gs/bii
No. 48 GEORGIA VS. No. 35 AUBURN
Date: March 10, 2024
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Location: Athens, Ga.
Venue: Dan Magill Tennis Complex
Live Stats + Video: https://gado.gs/8mk
CrackedRacquets CrossCourt Cast: https://gado.gs/bij
No. 48 GEORGIA VS. GEORGIA STATE
Date: March 10, 2024
Time: 5 p.m. ET
Location: Athens, Ga.
Venue: Dan Magill Tennis Complex
Live Stats + Video: https://gado.gs/8mk
CrackedRacquets CrossCourt Cast: https://gado.gs/bij
MEDIA INFORMATION
Georgia Season Stats: https://gado.gs/b9y
Alabama Season Stats: https://gado.gs/bik
South Carolina State Season Stats Not Available
Auburn Season Stats: https://gado.gs/bil
Georgia State Season Stats: https://gado.gs/bim
BULLDOGS BULLETIN
The First Serve: The Bulldogs return to the Dan Magill Tennis Complex for two doubleheaders, including a pair of Southeastern Conference matches.
Georgia's conference opponents, No. 21 Alabama and No. 35 Auburn hold a combined 125-11 record against the Bulldogs. Georgia is currently riding a 21-match home winning streak against the Crimson Tide, with its last loss in Athens against Alabama coming on April 14, 1983. The Bulldogs hold a similarly impressive streak against Auburn, having won the last 14 matches against the Tigers.
The second matches on Friday and Sunday will come against South Carolina State and Georgia State respectively. South Carolina State has played Georgia three times, all in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Athens, with Georgia winning 4-0 in each match. The second match on Friday will mark the first regular-season meeting between the programs. Georgia State will play in its first dual match against Georgia since 2009 on Sunday. The Panthers and Bulldogs have faced off 13 times, with Georgia sweeping its opponent in nine of those matches.
Last Time Out: Georgia began SEC play last weekend on the road, falling to No. 5 Tennessee and No. 26 Mississippi State by 6-1 and 4-3 scores respectively.
Despite a strong showing in doubles from the Bulldogs, the Volunteers took the point after winning on courts one and two. Georgia kept its singles matches close throughout the first set but was unable to battle back to find the win. The Bulldogs lost matches on courts four, six and one, allowing the Volunteers to clinch the match. The teams played out the remaining ongoing contests, where No. 77 Miguel Perez Peña was able to win his 16th match of the season. The junior defeated Chris Li, 6-3, 5-7, 10-5, to get the Bulldogs on the board.
Against Mississippi State, Georgia was unable to capture the doubles point, which proved to be the difference as it won three of the six singles matches.
In singles competition, Cyrus Mahjoob picked up the third first set for Georgia after winning three straight games on court six. Niels Ratiu was the first match to finish, picking up his 12th win of the year after fending off three break points to earn the 6-2, 6-4 victory. Mahjoob followed with a 7-5, 6-1 win of his own, putting Georgia up in the match 2-1. Mississippi State went on to take matches on courts three, two and five to clinch the win.
Dawgs in the Rankings: Georgia enters the week ranked No. 48 nationally by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. The Southeastern Conference features 11 schools in the top 50. Three of Georgia's players remain ranked in singles, with Ryan Colby sitting atop the roster's rankings at No. 65. He is joined by No. 82 ThomasPaulsell and No. 100 Perez Peña.
Scouting the Crimson Tide: Alabama currently stands at No. 21 in the ITA Team Rankings with wins over No. 5 Kentucky, No. 50 Northwestern, No. 32 Southern California and No. 35 Auburn. The Crimson Tide qualified for the ITA National Team Indoor Championships for the first time since 2010 after winning the ITA Kickoff Weekend Lexington Regional. The team is 0-1 in SEC play, dropping their rematch with the Kentucky Wildcats last weekend.
The Crimson Tide's roster features two players ranked in singles, led by the team's choice for court one, No. 46 Filip Planinsek. No. 46 Planinsek is 7-5 on the top court with a 3-3 record against ranked opponents. He is joined in the singles rankings by No. 69 Enzo Aguiard, who is 5-5 on court two this season. In doubles, Planinsek is joined by Andrii Zimnokh on court one to form the nation's No. 74-ranked pair.
Scouting SCSU's Bulldogs: South Carolina State is currently 3-4 on the year, with wins over Coastal Carolina, Wofford and Presbyterian. The team returns six players from its 2023 roster, which finished the year 10-10 overall after falling in the first round of the NCAA Tournament against South Carolina. SCSU finished with a 5-0 mark in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play, winning the conference for the 17th time in program history, including in 15 of the last 18 seasons.
Scouting the Tigers: Auburn stands 10-4 this season with losses to No. 12 Texas A&M, No. 49 Notre Dame, No. 16 Michigan State and No. 18 Alabama. The Tigers rose nine spots in the team poll since Feb. 20, adding wins against Middle Tennessee State, Ole Miss and UAB.
While the team has no players ranked in doubles, two student-athletes are represented in doubles. No. 40 Tyler Stice plays on court one, where he is 6-3 this season and 10-6 overall. Following him is No. 73 Finn Murgett, who holds a perfect 10-0 record in the spring with a 6-0 mark on court two.
Scouting the Panthers: Georgia State has opened the year with a 5-7 mark, with all five of its wins coming at home. The Panthers dropped both of their road matches against No. 28 Georgia Tech and No. 13 Florida State by a 6-1 margin. The team returns three players from last year's roster that finished 8-16. Georgia State participated in the 55th annual Southern Intercollegiate Championships this past fall, where Georgia went 3-0 in singles against the Panthers.
Classic City Colby: Colby has started the dual-match season in impressive fashion. The junior has primarily played on court two for the first time in his career, where he has five, winning four matches in straight sets.
Colby ended the fall with career-best singles and doubles rankings of No. 36 and No. 25 with Ratiu respectively. He earned his highest-ranked win at the Longhorn Invitational over No. 17 Micah Braswell to begin his Georgia career. Colby is 7-3 against ranked opponents this year after starting his career 2-3.
Diaz Announces Retirement: Legendary men's tennis head coach Manuel Diaz, the SEC's all-time leader in career wins who has guided Georgia to 29 conference championships, four NCAA national titles and a pair of ITA indoor national championships in 36 years, announced on Thursday, Feb. 22, that he will retire after the current 2023-24 season.
Diaz has a 46-year association with the Georgia men's tennis program. He was a two-time All-American during his playing days from 1972-75 and then served on Coach Dan Magill's staff as an assistant/associate head coach from 1982-88. He has been a part of each of Georgia's national championship teams and has won SEC Championships in each of the last five decades.
"It's a difficult decision to step away from something that has been such a huge part of my life and that I've loved for so long," Diaz said. "Georgia tennis has given me so much, and I want to thank all our fans from all over the world."
Diaz has been at the helm of the Georgia men's tennis program since the 1988-89 season, following the retirement of his mentor, Dan Magill. During his tenure, Diaz has established the Bulldogs as a blueblood in the sport, capturing four NCAA Team Championships while appearing in the NCAA finals 11 times and winning two Intercollegiate Tennis Association Team National Indoor Championships.
Georgia has reached the NCAA Tournament in all 35 seasons under his leadership, advancing to the quarterfinals in 27 of those trips to the postseason. His players have captured eight individual NCAA Championships — three in doubles and five in singles. Most recently, Ethan Quinn won the NCAA singles title in 2023. Diaz has led the program to 10 SEC Tournament titles and 19 regular season crowns. Every four-year letterman has won at least one SEC Championship ring while playing at Georgia for Coach Diaz.
With 771 victories to date, Diaz is the all-time winningest coach in SEC history. He has been awarded seven conference Coach of the Year trophies, eight ITA Southeast Region Coach of the Year honors and three ITA National Coach of the Year awards.
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 Manuel 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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