The No. 35 Alabama men’s tennis team finished their season May 22 after a run in the NCAA tournament in both singles and doubles. This was the second consecutive year the Crimson Tide was represented in both singles and doubles in the NCAA Tournament.
Although the team as a whole did not advance to the tournament, senior captain Daniil Proskura advanced to the tournament in singles play, and doubles pair Proskura and junior Becker O’Shaughnessey advanced as well.
The Crimson Tide fell just short of the team portion of the NCAA tournament as a 4-1 loss to South Carolina in the SEC Championship put the team at 14-15 overall. This made the team ineligible for the tournament, as rules state a team must have a .500 record or better to qualify for the post-season.
Alabama coach George Husack said while the team was disappointed to miss the tournament, there was a lesson to be learned in the importance of capitalizing on opportunities when they’re given.
“They were disappointed to be so close and have some great wins during the season, but I also know that you only get so many makeup exams during the course of the year,” he said. “I think what they’re going to take away is that they’re motivated to be even more prepared and ready to grab opportunities next year and not just think that they’re going to keep coming all the time.”
Looking to take advantage of his opportunities, Proskura advanced to the round of 32 after a 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 win in the first round of the singles portion of the tournament over Clemson’s Hunter Harrington. Proskura then faced South Carolina’s Andrew Adams and ended his singles career at the University, falling to Adams 6-3, 6-4, posting a 20-7 overall singles record this season and 76 overall career wins.
Doubles pair Proskura and O’Shaughnessey also ended their career partnership Thursday with a close 7-6(5), 6-4 loss to Cal in the doubles round of 32. The duo won 12 matches together throughout the season, including five against nationally-ranked opponents, and were named ITA All-Americans.
O’Shaughnessey said being named all-Americans was a great honor, especially since the pair didn’t form until later into the season, and the loss in the tournament was sharper simply because it was the duo’s last match together.
“We got paired up late in the season, and we didn’t know how well we were going to do, and in the last three or four matches we picked up some really good wins,” O’Shaughnessey said. “Going in we had a lot of confidence and were playing really well and were excited. It was tough though because that was [Proskura’s] last college match. It was an honor to play with him because he’s had the best four years of probably any college player in the school.”
(See also “Men’s tennis enters SEC tournament as 10-seed“)
