NCAA’s Home Court: Athens always a heavy favorite to host college tennis’ premier event
Source: Athens-Banner Herald by Marc Weiszer
There’s something about Athens and college tennis at this time of year.
Even to a Gator.
“It’s home, it’s really home to college tennis,” Florida women’s coach Roland Thornqvist said.
Twenty years ago, Thornqvist played in the NCAA Championships at Georgia as an All-American for North Carolina.
Now, he’s coaching a Gators team that is the defending champion and is the No. 2 seed this year.
“Ever since I was a student-athlete in the 1990s, we were always excited to come here because of the energy,” he said. “The whole town sort of rises up to this tournament, I think. Although my home is Gainesville and I’m partial to that, it’s always very special to come here.”
The men’s and women’s tournaments are back in Athens. They begin today with the round of 16 at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex, where there will be serves and volleys all the way through Memorial Day.
“Everybody basically says the same thing, ‘You don’t know what’s coming,’ ” said Ignacio Taboada, a senior on Georgia’s second-seeded men’s team who transferred from Miami (Fla.). “We’ve had some big crowds. Florida, we had almost 2,000 people last year, and then Tennessee, we had over 2,000. So that was just ecstatic. Everyone plays well when we have big crowds and they say it’s like 10 times better than that.”
The event features six days of the team tournament. That’s followed by six more days with a singles bracket of 64 players and a doubles bracket with 32.
Southern California, seeking its fourth straight national title, is the top seed on the men’s side. UCLA is the No. 1 women’s team.
Magill, the legendary former Georgia tennis coach who is now 91, is expected in his box to watch and cheer on his Bulldogs, just like he did last week for the opening two rounds, which are held on campus sites.
“Even a guy as young as me knows his legacy,” Georgia senior Wil Spencer said. “I have so much respect for him. To see him up there still, 91 years old, to be up there and to be so faithful, to always come to our matches and support us, it means a lot.”
Magill — now curator for the ITA Men’s Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame, which is part of Georgia’s tennis complex — made Athens the place where men’s college tennis takes its annual pilgrimage.
“You kind of feel an obligation to keep up the standard that he set a long time ago and to provide a unique atmosphere and a unique experience for these student-athletes to come here to participate,” said Matt Brachowski, Georgia’s assistant athletic director for event management who is serving as the tournament director for the ninth time.
Georgia has a rich history of hosting. The men’s tournament was held in Athens in all but three years from 1977-2001, including for 13 consecutive years. This year will mark 30 tournaments held here — including men’s, women’s and combined.
“There are teams like Georgia and Southern Cal that you can say are here every year, but it’s the other schools that don’t get that opportunity every year that are the ones you really want to make a unique experience and something that they’ll really remember because you never know for anybody when they might be able to get back here again,” Brachowski said.
Georgia hosted its first championship in 1972 and drew about 3,000 fans a day.
Henry Feild Stadium was built for $100,000 in time for the ’77 tournament.
Magill gave up his duties as sports information director and secretary of the Bulldog Club to promote tournament tennis and Athens embraced the championships.
The event is held at other locations some years in an effort to grow the sport.
Georgia’s men have won five of their six national titles in Athens, but its most recent in 2008 came at Tulsa. Georgia was a finalist in 2006 at Stanford when the combined men’s and women’s tournaments were held for the first time.
“We compete well, no matter where it is,” Georgia men’s coach Manuel Diaz said. “The fact that it’s home, I think it’s exciting for these guys because of the atmosphere. Every team that’s coming in for the final 16 is excited for the atmosphere that is here because it’s special. I don’t think you get that just about anywhere else.”
Stanford hosted last year. Tulsa was the spot in 2008. Texas A&M had it in 2009. Illinois will host next year. Future tournament sites have not been determined.
“Stanford did a great job last year, but really the atmosphere here is unique,” Diaz said. “It’s just a great event when it’s here. We’ll host it whenever they want us to host it.”
Brachowski said the crowd for Friday night’s men’s match against North Carolina could be in the 2,500-3,000 range for a venue that holds 5,000.
The sixth-seeded Georgia women play No. 11 seed Texas at 4 p.m. today after not reaching the round of 16 when the tournament was in Athens in 2010.
“The atmosphere is completely different than a match that you play during the season,” said senior Chelsey Gullickson, who won the NCAA singles title in 2010 in Athens. “The fans are unbelievable and I know during teams it’s going to be that much more fun and that much more exciting. … It’s just great to play on our courts.”
It can be a raucous, barking crowd for the Bulldogs.
“Getting to that round of 16 with Georgia still in the tournament almost has a football feel to it more than tennis, and that’s special,” former Georgia All-American John Isner told Georgiadogs.com this month.
A change this year for the McWhorter upper courts is an electronic scoreboard and new bleachers that seat about 400.
“It’s special at the end of the year when you’re playing in your own backyard,” Georgia women’s coach Jeff Wallace said. “It’s a great time and a great event. It’s just something we want to go out there and do our best.”
Today’s schedule
Dan Magill Tennis Complex
Women’s Round of 16
Today
No. 1 UCLA vs. Rice 9 a.m.
No. 9 California vs. Georgia Tech 9 a.m.
No. 5 Southern California vs. No. 12 Baylor, noon
No. 13 Northwestern vs. No. 4 Stanford, noon
No. 3 Duke vs. No. 14 Virginia, 4 p.m.
No. 11 Texas vs. No. 6 Georgia, 4 p.m.
No. 7 North Carolina vs. No. 10 Miami 7 p.m.
No. 15 Michigan vs. No. 2 Florida, 7 p.m.
Men’s Round of 16
Friday
No. 1 Southern California vs. Illinois, 9 a.m.
Baylor vs. No. 8 Duke, 9 a.m.
No. 5 Ohio State vs. No. 12 Florida, noon
No. 13 Ole Miss vs. No. 4 UCLA, noon
No. 3 UVA vs. California 4 p.m.
No. 11 Stanford vs. No. 6 Kentucky, 4 p.m.
No. 7 Pepperdine vs. Tulsa, 7 p.m.
No. 15 North Carolina vs. No. 2 Georgia, 7 p.m.
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