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Olivia Sayer
Georgia freshman redshirt Ethan Quinn and fifth-year Trent Bryde compete in a doubles match at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex on Thursday, April. 13, 2023, in Athens, Georgia. The Georgia men’s tennis team defeats Mississippi State 6-1 for its 11th-straight conference win. (Photo/Landen Todd @whats_landophoto)
The No. 4 Georgia men’s tennis team dominated No. 25 Ole Miss on Saturday, April 15 at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex. Performing strokes that left the crowd in awe, the win capped off an impressive regular season, as Georgia earned a perfect SEC record for the first time since 2016.
“The process to get here has been a long one,” head coach Manny Diaz said. “This team went out there this season and had difficult matches, but they kept improving by working hard, and now they can bring the SEC Championship back home to Athens.”
Before the match, which drew a crowd of 2,080 spectators, the Bulldogs honored their five seniors. Each was recognized for his work both on and off the court while the fans gave each Bulldog a well-earned standing ovation. Between the numerous academic and athletic recognitions, this senior class carried on the high standard set by previous graduating classes.
“Since 1971 and onward, everyone who played here for four years can say they won this conference,” Diaz said after his team clinched a share of the SEC Championship title April 9. “So, for our fifth-year seniors, it’s been a huge goal for them, and this means a ton.”
Starting with doubles, the No. 5 ranked dynamic duo of redshirt freshman Ethan Quinn and senior Trent Bryde had no issue defeating Ole Miss’ John Hallquist Lithén and Simon Junk 6-1 on court one. On court two, Georgia seniors Philip Henning and Teodor Giusca fell to Lukas Engelhardt and Isac Stromberg by a score of 6-4.
This left the doubles point to be decided on court three, where the senior duo of Blake Croyder and Britton Johnston faced off with the Rebels’ pair of Nikola Slavic and Noah Schlagenhauf. Behind an energized crowd, the back-and-forth battle came down to a tiebreaker, with the Bulldogs taking the set from the Rebels 7-6 (7-5) and securing the doubles point.
Moving into singles, No. 4 Quinn stayed on his hot streak, defeating Lithén 6-1, 6-3. Giving Georgia a 2-0 lead, Quinn finished SEC play with a 10-1 record. On court four, Georgia’s current leader in wins, No. 105 Croyder, followed it up with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Engelhardt.
On Senior Day, it was fitting that the match-clinching set came from the senior who went undefeated in conference play this season. No. 19 Henning defeated No. 65 Slavic 6-2, 6-2, providing him with his 100th career singles win and his 10th win in a row.
“It’s a great feeling that I could get the win for the team on this very meaningful day,” Henning said. “My family was here, so just getting to spend these moments with them and the rest of the team today was very special.”
Although the win was clinched, the Bulldogs were not finished racking up victories. Electing to play out the final matches instead of leaving them unfinished, the Bulldogs pressed on.
Bryde and sophomore Miguel Perez Peña each earned wins on courts three and five, respectively. Bryde defeated Junk 6-2, 6-4, while Perez Peña won his set against Schlagenhauf 6-1, 6-2. To close out the match, Giusca earned his 150th combined career win, defeating Stromberg 6-4, 6-3.
Georgia has secured the top seed in the SEC Tournament and will play the winner of the No. 8 and No. 9 seed matchup in the quarterfinals at the Yarbrough Tennis Center in Auburn, Alabama on April 21. Georgia looks to win its first SEC Tournament Championship since 2017.