University of Georgia Athletics
Friday, May 3
Winston-Salem, N.C.
2 p.m.
University of Georgia
vs
No. 23 Arizona St.
Photo by: Tony Walsh/UGAAA
Georgia Travels to Winston-Salem to Begin NCAA Tournament
May 02, 2024 | Men's Tennis
ATHENS, Ga. — The Georgia men's tennis team will begin its journey in the NCAA Tournament in Winston-Salem, N.C. in the Wake Forest Regional against Arizona State on Friday, May 3 at 2 p.m. ET at the Wake Forest Tennis Complex.
No. 38 GEORGIA (14-13, 5-7 SEC) VS. No. 21 ARIZONA STATE (17-9, 4-2 Pac-12)
Date: May 3, 2024
Time: 2 p.m. ET
Location: Winston-Salem, N.C.
Venue: Wake Forest Tennis Complex
Live Stats: https://gado.gs/8d6
Live Video: https://gado.gs/8d8
MATCH SCHEDULE
Friday, May 3
2 p.m. — Georgia vs. Arizona State
5 p.m. — (6) Wake Forest vs. South Carolina State
Saturday, May 4
5 p.m. — Men's Second Round Match
MEDIA INFORMATION
Georgia Season Stats: https://gado.gs/b9y
Arizona State Season Stats: https://gado.gs/btk
Wake Forest Season Stats: https://gado.gs/bg0
South Carolina State Season Stats: N/A
BULLDOGS BULLETIN
The First Serve: Georgia's first round match against Arizona State will mark the second meeting between the programs, with the previous contest also coming in the NCAA Tournament during the round of 16 in 1995. The Bulldogs defeated the Sun Devils, 4-1, on May 13, 1995, eventually reaching the semifinals. Georgia competed against seven of the 16 seeded teams during its 2024 dual match campaign (No. 2 Texas, No. 3 Virginia, No. 5 Kentucky, No. 6 Wake Forest, No. 7 Tennessee, No. 15 Texas A&M, No. 16 Mississippi State).
Georgia has hosted the NCAA Regionals in Athens at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex for 17 out of the 19 NCAA Tournaments since 2004. In addition to 2024, the other season the Bulldogs did not host the first and seconds during that stretch came in 2019, where Georgia participated in the Chapel Hill Regional hosted by North Carolina.
NCAA Tournament: Georgia will be seeking its seventh NCAA Championship (1985, 1987, 1999, 2001, 2007, 2008) in its 45thtotal NCAA Tournament appearance. Its six titles place it fourth all-time behind Southern California (21), Stanford (17) and UCLA (16). The program holds a 117-40 record in the event since it began in 1979.
In head coach Manuel Diaz's previous 35 seasons, he has led the Bulldogs to a quarterfinals appearance in 28 years. Most recently, Georgia finished its season in the quarterfinals in 2023, falling to Ohio State. All told, the Bulldogs have made it to at least the round of 16 in 39 of their 44 NCAA Tournament runs.
Georgia's most recent national title came in 2008, earning the second title in as many years. Across the two seasons, Georgia went 59-3. The Dan Magill Tennis Complex has been host of 32 NCAA Championships. Five of Georgia's six tournament titles have come at its home venue, with the lone outlier being the team's run in 2008 coming in Tulsa, Okla.
Dawgs in the Rankings: Georgia moved to No. 38 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings that were updated on Tuesday, May 3.
In singles, Thomas Paulsell leads the team with a No. 36 ranking, which set a new career best. The junior plays on court one and has won six matches against ranked opponents this season. He is followed by No. 69 Ryan Colby, who leads the team in ranked wins with nine, which was good for third-most in the SEC to cap off the regular season.
Freddy Blaydes and Niels Ratiu lead the team in doubles on the court and in the rankings. The pair plays on court one and is ranked No. 22, earning career bests for both freshmen. Blaydes and Ratiu's highest-ranked win came on March 24 when they beat No. 29 Bozo Barun and Jared Horwood of Arkansas by a 6-2 score. Ratiu and Colby round out Georgia's student-athletes in the doubles poll at No. 73.
Dangerous in Doubles: Georgia enters the NCAA Tournament having won the doubles point in 10 of its previous 11 matches where the competition was played. Since winning the doubles point at No. 12 Texas A&M on March 17, the team is a combined 21-6 in doubles. Freshman Ratiu finished the regular season with 23 wins in doubles competition, good for most in the league. Ratiu earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors on March 27.
Paulsell Earns All-SEC Honors: Paulsell was named to the All-Southeastern Conference Second Team, the league office announced on Thursday, April 25.
This marks the first time Paulsell has earned an All-SEC nod in his collegiate career, becoming the 109th Bulldog to be named to an all-conference team.
"I am incredibly proud of Thomas earning this recognition," head coach Manuel Diaz said. "He has put in so much work and done a great job of leading our young team. He has a very bright future."
Paulsell primarily played on court one in singles, picking up eight wins after only seeing action in nine dual matches in his first two seasons of collegiate tennis. Six of Paulsell's eight wins were against ranked opponents, including five versus SEC competition, after only beating one ranked opponent in his first two years. He beat No. 46 ranked singles players twice during the 2023-24 campaign – Nemanja Malesevic of Mississippi State and Filip Planinsek of Alabama.
Paulsell reached No.41 in the singles rankings to end the fall and remained in the top 85 of the poll throughout the spring. He reached another milestone by entering the doubles rankings for the first time in his career with Colby on April 9, appearing at No. 69.
Last Time Out: Georgia fell in the second round of the Southeastern Conference Tournament to Arkansas, 4-1, on Thursday, April 18 at the LSU Tennis Complex.
Georgia earned the doubles point with wins on courts two and one, marking the 10th time in the previous 11 matches the team competed in doubles that it earned the point.
No. 28 Freddy Blaydes and Niels Ratiu clinched the doubles point for the sixth time together this season, which marked the fourth win in the last five matches for the freshmen. Blaydes and Ratiu's 7-6(2) win over No. 30 Bozo Barun and Jared Horwood marked the sixth ranked victory by the pair this season. With the victory, Ratiu is tied with No. 68 Colby for the most tiebreakers in singles this season with 13. He is 9-4 in breakers.
This marked Georgia's first loss in the SEC Tournament to Arkansas. The Bulldogs were 4-0 against the Razorbacks in the event prior to tonight's match.
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. 38 GEORGIA (14-13, 5-7 SEC) VS. No. 21 ARIZONA STATE (17-9, 4-2 Pac-12)
Date: May 3, 2024
Time: 2 p.m. ET
Location: Winston-Salem, N.C.
Venue: Wake Forest Tennis Complex
Live Stats: https://gado.gs/8d6
Live Video: https://gado.gs/8d8
MATCH SCHEDULE
Friday, May 3
2 p.m. — Georgia vs. Arizona State
5 p.m. — (6) Wake Forest vs. South Carolina State
Saturday, May 4
5 p.m. — Men's Second Round Match
MEDIA INFORMATION
Georgia Season Stats: https://gado.gs/b9y
Arizona State Season Stats: https://gado.gs/btk
Wake Forest Season Stats: https://gado.gs/bg0
South Carolina State Season Stats: N/A
BULLDOGS BULLETIN
The First Serve: Georgia's first round match against Arizona State will mark the second meeting between the programs, with the previous contest also coming in the NCAA Tournament during the round of 16 in 1995. The Bulldogs defeated the Sun Devils, 4-1, on May 13, 1995, eventually reaching the semifinals. Georgia competed against seven of the 16 seeded teams during its 2024 dual match campaign (No. 2 Texas, No. 3 Virginia, No. 5 Kentucky, No. 6 Wake Forest, No. 7 Tennessee, No. 15 Texas A&M, No. 16 Mississippi State).
Georgia has hosted the NCAA Regionals in Athens at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex for 17 out of the 19 NCAA Tournaments since 2004. In addition to 2024, the other season the Bulldogs did not host the first and seconds during that stretch came in 2019, where Georgia participated in the Chapel Hill Regional hosted by North Carolina.
NCAA Tournament: Georgia will be seeking its seventh NCAA Championship (1985, 1987, 1999, 2001, 2007, 2008) in its 45thtotal NCAA Tournament appearance. Its six titles place it fourth all-time behind Southern California (21), Stanford (17) and UCLA (16). The program holds a 117-40 record in the event since it began in 1979.
In head coach Manuel Diaz's previous 35 seasons, he has led the Bulldogs to a quarterfinals appearance in 28 years. Most recently, Georgia finished its season in the quarterfinals in 2023, falling to Ohio State. All told, the Bulldogs have made it to at least the round of 16 in 39 of their 44 NCAA Tournament runs.
Georgia's most recent national title came in 2008, earning the second title in as many years. Across the two seasons, Georgia went 59-3. The Dan Magill Tennis Complex has been host of 32 NCAA Championships. Five of Georgia's six tournament titles have come at its home venue, with the lone outlier being the team's run in 2008 coming in Tulsa, Okla.
Dawgs in the Rankings: Georgia moved to No. 38 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings that were updated on Tuesday, May 3.
In singles, Thomas Paulsell leads the team with a No. 36 ranking, which set a new career best. The junior plays on court one and has won six matches against ranked opponents this season. He is followed by No. 69 Ryan Colby, who leads the team in ranked wins with nine, which was good for third-most in the SEC to cap off the regular season.
Freddy Blaydes and Niels Ratiu lead the team in doubles on the court and in the rankings. The pair plays on court one and is ranked No. 22, earning career bests for both freshmen. Blaydes and Ratiu's highest-ranked win came on March 24 when they beat No. 29 Bozo Barun and Jared Horwood of Arkansas by a 6-2 score. Ratiu and Colby round out Georgia's student-athletes in the doubles poll at No. 73.
Dangerous in Doubles: Georgia enters the NCAA Tournament having won the doubles point in 10 of its previous 11 matches where the competition was played. Since winning the doubles point at No. 12 Texas A&M on March 17, the team is a combined 21-6 in doubles. Freshman Ratiu finished the regular season with 23 wins in doubles competition, good for most in the league. Ratiu earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors on March 27.
Paulsell Earns All-SEC Honors: Paulsell was named to the All-Southeastern Conference Second Team, the league office announced on Thursday, April 25.
This marks the first time Paulsell has earned an All-SEC nod in his collegiate career, becoming the 109th Bulldog to be named to an all-conference team.
"I am incredibly proud of Thomas earning this recognition," head coach Manuel Diaz said. "He has put in so much work and done a great job of leading our young team. He has a very bright future."
Paulsell primarily played on court one in singles, picking up eight wins after only seeing action in nine dual matches in his first two seasons of collegiate tennis. Six of Paulsell's eight wins were against ranked opponents, including five versus SEC competition, after only beating one ranked opponent in his first two years. He beat No. 46 ranked singles players twice during the 2023-24 campaign – Nemanja Malesevic of Mississippi State and Filip Planinsek of Alabama.
Paulsell reached No.41 in the singles rankings to end the fall and remained in the top 85 of the poll throughout the spring. He reached another milestone by entering the doubles rankings for the first time in his career with Colby on April 9, appearing at No. 69.
Last Time Out: Georgia fell in the second round of the Southeastern Conference Tournament to Arkansas, 4-1, on Thursday, April 18 at the LSU Tennis Complex.
Georgia earned the doubles point with wins on courts two and one, marking the 10th time in the previous 11 matches the team competed in doubles that it earned the point.
No. 28 Freddy Blaydes and Niels Ratiu clinched the doubles point for the sixth time together this season, which marked the fourth win in the last five matches for the freshmen. Blaydes and Ratiu's 7-6(2) win over No. 30 Bozo Barun and Jared Horwood marked the sixth ranked victory by the pair this season. With the victory, Ratiu is tied with No. 68 Colby for the most tiebreakers in singles this season with 13. He is 9-4 in breakers.
This marked Georgia's first loss in the SEC Tournament to Arkansas. The Bulldogs were 4-0 against the Razorbacks in the event prior to tonight's match.
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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