The Alabama Crimson Tide men’s tennis team returned to Tuscaloosa after a visit to Montgomery for the Blue Gray National Tennis Classic. The Tide represented the school well, winning two games out of three, losing only to the eventual tournament winner on the first day.
In the new tournament format, there are only eight teams (down from the playing field of 16 in previous years). Because of the new format each game was crucial to the Tide.
“It was a positive experience for us,” said head coach Billy Pate. “We went into the tournament wanting to win at two out of our three matches, and we did that. Our draw was difficult, playing eventual winner Pepperdine first. We played well, but they played better.”
The match with Pepperdine was a tough match. Alabama failed to get a victory in doubles, which is something Pate stressed to the team.
“Doubles competition is very important, and for us this year it is has been very disappointing, and hasn’t been as successful as we would like to be,” Pate said. “If you don’t win doubles, you have to win singles. So we are trying every day to get better in doubles.”
The team was unable to finish promising matches in singles competition due to the fact the Pepperdine had already clinched the singles points with wins on courts three, two and one. Pepperdine would defeat the tide 4-0.
Alabama got things going in the second day of competition, playing against Penn State. The Tide would secure the doubles point when juniors Ricky Doverspike and Vikram Reddy got an 8-6 victory over senior Eddie Bourchier and freshman Russell Bader to give Alabama the 1-0 lead.
Reddy was the first and the only Tide player to lose in singles—he lost to Penn State sophomore Brian Weinetz 5-7, 0-6. The team rebounded from there, as no other Tide player would drop a singles match. Doverspike, sophomore Jarryd Botha, freshman Daniil Proskura, junior Michael Thompson and freshman Carlos Taborga all notched wins in singles competition to pave the way for a 4-1 victory over Penn State.
The Tide finished out the Blue Gray Classic with a 4-1 win over Arizona. It was decided before the match that the team would not play doubles and instead would just play singles. Doverspike, Reddy, Proskura, Thompson and Taborga all got singles wins, while Botha dropped his match 5-7, 0-6 to Arizona junior Jason Zafiros.
Looking back on the tournament, coach Pate said he is pleased with where his team is going, and the progress they are making.
“We are right where we need to be,” Pate said. “We are 7-2 on the season, and our two losses have come at the hands of two really good teams. We have Tennessee next in Knoxville, and then Georgia in Athens, and we are going to be looking to keep our momentum going as the season progresses.”
