Tennis season is now officially underway for both the men’s and women’s teams after the annual Bama Four-In-The-Fall tournament. Despite the heat, both teams competed fiercely against visitors from around the country. Each team sought to kick off their home schedules to get a few early wins under their belt as they will move into the latter part of the season very soon.

Men

For the men, they were able to tally up 13 wins this weekend against Georgia, Tulane, Mercer and Louisville. 

Freshman Roan Jones once again remains undefeated in singles matches thus far, going 6-0. His strong playing has surely been impressive and a spectacle to watch. Jones had two straight set victories against Georgia’s Britton Johnston, 6-1, 6-4, and against Louisville’s Andre Steinbach, 6-0, 6-4. 

Sophomore Zach Foster also had himself a productive weekend going undefeated in singles as well. He was able to acquire three straight set victories against Britton Johnston, 6-2, 6-4, Louisville’s David Mazrahi, 7-6(6), 6-4, and Tulane’s Benji Jacobson, 7-6(5), 6-1.  

“Their goal for the weekend was to get in 6 matches each and I think every day we got a little bit better,” head coach George Husack said. “For each guy individually, they were challenged and that’s what you want the fall to be like so they will be prepared in the spring.” 

Joao Ferreira and Zach Foster were able to pick up two doubles wins during the weekend as well, against Britton Johnston and Miguel Perez Pena for Georgia, 6-4, and against Tulane’s Sam Scherer and Benji Jacobson, 6-3.  

The Crimson Tide were able to pick up three singles wins to open up SEC play against Georgia, along with a win in doubles.  

Sophomore Enzo Aguiard suffered his first two losses in doubles this season alongside partner Roan Jones against Louisville’s Matthew Fung and Andre Steinbach, 7-6(2) and Miguel Perez Pena and Thomas Paulsell of Georgia, 6-2. Despite those two losses, Aguiard was able to put together two singles wins including a straight set victory against Mercer’s Nem Stefanovic, 6-2, 6-2. 

Coach Husack hopes to use this weekend as momentum to keep improving into the later season.  

“They will be getting better at what each of them do individually on the court,” Husack said. “A lot of it is just handling themselves emotionally especially if they make the right moves, but don’t execute it properly.” 

The Alabama men’s team will seek to have an impressive showing during the upcoming Fall Regional Championships hosted in Tuscaloosa, starting Oct. 13.

Women

The women’s team had a series of hard fought matches resulting in multiple impressive victories over the course of the weekend, including some first time collegiate victories. 

Klara Milicevic and Rebeka Kern each snagged their first collegiate wins in both singles and doubles on Friday, first but assuredly not last for two talented freshmen. In doubles, the two bested Tereza Dejnozkova and Otoha Aoki of The University of South Alabama, 7-6 (4.) Kern’s single victory came against Illinois’ Emily Casati, 6-2, 6-3. Milicevic beat The University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Sydney Clarke 6-3, 7-5. In addition to Friday’s triumphant freshmen, Anna Parkhomenko won a tightly contested singles match against Florida State University’s Alice Amendola, 6-1, 3-6, 10-5. 

On Saturday, Kasia Pitak was the Tide’s leader. She won both her singles and her doubles matches; a 6-2 doubles win alongside Ansley Cheshire versus Kathryn Treiber and Kida Ferrari of The University of Illinois, along with a singles win against South Alabama’s Dejnozkova, 6-1, 7-6 (3,) 11-9. 

Sunday was again Pitak’s time to shine. Only singles were played on Sunday, and Kasia Pitak recorded a 6-2, 6-4 win against Maggie White of UAB.  

Now, the team looks on to Monday, when Petra Sedlackova and Loudmilla Bencheik open the ITA All-American Championship in the qualifying draw of singles in North Carolina. Sedlackova will also join Ola Pitak in doubles play at the same championship on Monday.

Questions or comments? Email Austin Hannon (Sports Editor) at [email protected]