Tennessee Men's Tennis Team in the Finals

#1
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Aladywhovolunteer

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#1
#3 Tennessee men's tennis team is in the finals of the ITA Division 1 Indoor National Championship. Beat #2 Baylor 4 to 2 to advance. Will play winner of Ohio State and TCU for championship. Team is 11 and 1 with only loss to #1 Ohio State. Loss occurred in Columbus when Tennessee was ranked #1 and The Ohio State was ranked #2.
 
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#2
#2
#3 Tennessee will play #5 TCU for the championship tomorrow. The two teams played earlier this year at TCU, where Tennessee won a hard fought 4-3 victory. A win tomorrow would give the Vols their first National Title ever in tennis. They've been in two Finals before, but came up short. Let's Go Big Orange and bring home that natty!!!

The match starts at 3pm ET. Here's a link where you can watch: ITA Indoors National Championship - Tennessee vs TCU
 
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#3
#3
These matches have been crazy. We beat TCU in a close one, Ohio State crushes us, then TCU edges Ohio State. I think we dodged a bullet there.
 
#4
#4
pasadenavol said:
#3 Tennessee will play #5 TCU for the championship tomorrow. The two teams played earlier this year at TCU, where Tennessee won a hard fought 4-3 victory. A win tomorrow would give the Vols their first National Title ever in tennis. They've been in two Finals before, but came up short. Let's Go Big Orange and bring home that natty!!!

The match starts at 3pm ET. Here's a link where you can watch: ITA Indoors National Championship - Tennessee vs TCU
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This is cool, but it wouldn't be an NCAA title though, right?
 
#6
#6
tennesseekilt said:
This is cool, but it wouldn't be an NCAA title though, right?
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There are two tournaments for Men's NCAA tournament - the ITA Indoors and the NCAAs. As it's name states, the Indoors are played at one location on inside courts, while the NCAAs are much like other NCAA sports where top teams get to host rounds of the tournament at their outdoor facilities. Usually occurs some time in May.
 
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#7
#7
pasadenavol said:
There are two tournaments for Men's NCAA tournament - the ITA Indoors and the NCAAs. As it's name states, the Indoors are played at one location on inside courts, while the NCAAs are much like other NCAA sports where top teams get to host rounds of the tournament at their outdoor facilities. Usually occurs some time in May.
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When schools count their national titles in all sports, is this one included or is it more like the preseason NIT in basketball?
 
#8
#8
tennesseekilt said:
When schools count their national titles in all sports, is this one included or is it more like the preseason NIT in basketball?
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No, the outdoor tourney is THE NCAA national championship. That's the one that matters. This one is a prestigious tourney, to be sure--it's run by the governing body for college tennis, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, or ITA, but the winner is not an NCAA national champion, as far as I know.
 
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#9
#9
TCU took the doubles point (2 of 3 matches). Now the Vols need to win 4 of 6 singles matches; TCU would only need to win 3 of the 6. Let's go Vols, you can do it!!!
 
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#10
#10
We did win a national championship in tennis last year--in doubles. Pat Harper and Adam Walton won it. They are both Australian. Doubles is very important in collegiate tennis: There are three doubles matches to start every contest--each to 6 games. Whoever wins two of the three games wins the doubles point and so has a 1-0 lead. The teams then play 6 singles matches, each worth a point. The first to get to 4 points wins the match. So if you win the doubles point, you need only win 3 of the 6 singles matches to win the team match; if you lose the doubles point, you need 4 singles wins--and that is hard to do when playing a strong opponent. Your chancesof winning a match between two evenly matched teams probably goes from, say, 50 percent to 65 percent of you win the doubles--and the converse of course holds. Walton and Harper has struggled to find their form this season, so far, perhaps because Harper is coming off shoulder surgery. He seems to be fine, but who knows. As I type this they are closing to losing their doubles match to TCU, down 2-5.

Walton has played at the No. 1 singles spot for the Vols for at least two and maybe three years, but our best player now is Jo Monday, a left-handed Englishmman.
 
#11
#11
turbovol said:
No, the outdoor tourney is THE NCAA national championship. That's the one that matters. This one is a prestigious tourney, to be sure--it's run by the governing body for college tennis, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, or ITA, but the winner is not an NCAA national champion, as far as I know.
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You're also correct, but the ITA Indoors is also considered 'National Championship' for the team that wins that tournament. The NCAAs definitely is what matters the most - it's more prestigious and is at the end of the season. Fans of most sports are used to only one Championship tournament (NCAA). Tennis has two.
 
#12
#12
turbovol said:
We did win a national championship in tennis last year--in doubles. Pat Harper and Adam Walton won it. They are both Australian. Doubles is very important in collegiate tennis: There are three doubles matches to start every contest--each to 6 games. Whoever wins two of the three games wins the doubles point and so has a 1-0 lead. The teams then play 6 singles matches, each worth a point. The first to get to 4 points wins the match. So if you win the doubles point, you need only win 3 of the 6 singles matches to win the team match; if you lose the doubles point, you need 4 singles wins--and that is hard to do when playing a strong opponent. Your chancesof winning a match between two evenly matched teams probably goes from, say, 50 percent to 65 percent of you win the doubles--and the converse of course holds. Walton and Harper has struggled to find their form this season, so far, perhaps because Harper is coming off shoulder surgery. He seems to be fine, but who knows. As I type this they are closing to losing their doubles match to TCU, down 2-5.

Walton has played at the No. 1 singles spot for the Vols for at least two and maybe three years, but our best player now is Jo Monday, a left-handed Englishmman.
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Tennessee has actually had a number of 'National Champions' in individual events, but has never won it as a team. This would be their first championship as a team. Hope this thread is educational to those not familiar with the sport. And as always, LET'S GO VOLS!!!
 
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#13
#13
pasadenavol said:
TCU took the doubles point (2 of 3 matches). Now the Vols need to win 4 of 6 singles matches; TCU would only need to win 3 of the 6. Let's go Vols, you can do it!!!
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Ouch. I assume Harper/Walton lost. After struggling early this year, they seemed to find this form in the tournament....until today. Uphill battle now. It's doable, but will be tough, especially because we've been losing regularly at the No. 6 singles position. Coach Woodruff has tried different players but they've all been losing--and that effectively means we have to win 4 of 5 matches today, unless whoever is playing at 6 can surprise. We're missing our No. 3 singles player from last year--Martim Prada. I think he had some sort of injury and did not play in the fall. He then was inserted in the lineup a few weeks ago but was not right--was playing very poorly--and he's not playing in this tournament. Not sure what the issue with him is, but we need him back, healthy and playing well if we want to win the national championship. One of the Univ. of Florida's best players transferred to UT over the summer--and there was much talk that he would be the guy to help the Vols win a national title this year--but he's apparently been ruled ineligible. I think we've appealed, but don't know if the NCAA will change its decision. Florida won the national title last year--after we beat the gators to win the SEC tournament.
 
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#14
#14
pasadenavol said:
Tennessee has actually had a number of 'National Champions' in individual events, but has never won it as a team. This would be their first championship as a team. Hope this thread is educational to those not familiar with the sport. And as always, LET'S GO VOLS!!!
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Do you have any info on Prada? What was his injury and what's his health status?
 
#15
#15
I only know the same as you. He was injured and tried to give it a go, but just can't. I think CCW is keeping him out until he knows that he's back to 100%. They've added Gannon into the lineup and he's doing really well at #6. Mitsui moved up to #5 (for today at least). The lineup looks like this: 1. Walton, 2. Monday, 3. Hudd, 4. Diaz, 5. Mitsui, 6. Gannon.
 
#16
#16
Mitsui lost the first set 6-1; Walton is down 2-4; Hudd is down 2-5. Rest of the guys are on serve. Need a huge come back from Walton, Mitsui or Hudd.
 
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#17
It's looking bleak--very bleak. When Mitsui is losing 1-6 and 0-2 in the second set, at last report, it's bad. He's been our most dependable player this year. I think energy level--physical and mental--is a factor when you're playing for the fourth straight day against a good opponent--but it's no different for TCU. I would have bet on us to win the doubles point--as we've got 3 good doubles teams--and losing it may have taken some starch out of us.
 
#18
#18
pasadenavol said:
I only know the same as you. He was injured and tried to give it a go, but just can't. I think CCW is keeping him out until he knows that he's back to 100%. They've added Gannon into the lineup and he's doing really well at #6. Mitsui moved up to #5 (for today at least). The lineup looks like this: 1. Walton, 2. Monday, 3. Hudd, 4. Diaz, 5. Mitsui, 6. Gannon.
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I hope Woodruff sticks with Gannon at 6. He played well in the fall and he's a freshman--he'll get better. The only other alternative is Wallner, who's senior/5th year and he lost at 6 a couple of matches ago. Harper has been tried there but he's just not a good singles player. Walton seems off--he got thumped yesterday, by a very good player), which rarely happens to him, and he's not going well today either.
 
#19
#19
TCU took the first set in 4 of the 6 singles matches. Walton fought hard, was down 2-5 and took Fomba to a tie break, but fell short. Diaz and Monday won their first sets.

2nd set - Monday looks in control at 3-0. Hudd is up a break, Diaz down a break, Mitsui lost, and Gannon is on serve. TCU leads 2-0
 
#20
#20
Update:

Johannes Monday won at #2 singles, Hudd lost at #3. TCU leads 3-1. Tennessee has to win all 3 of its remaining matches. It's not over though!
 
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#21
#21
Walton and Gannon just won their 2nd sets, so they are still alive. Right now it comes down to Diaz pulling out his 3rd set. They are on serve at 3 all right now...
 
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#22
#22
Well, TCU just wrapped up the match 4-1. They got revenge for the Vols beating them earlier this season. Was close - last 3 singles matches went to the 3rd set. Good effort today, just came up short. Razor thin margins between the top 10 teams in the country. Way to go Vols, no need to hang your heads!

Sr. Martim Prata did not play, still dealing with injury. Blaise Bicknell (UF transfer) has not been ruled eligible to play. With those two out, I have to think we'd have a lot more fire power in the line up. If Prata get healthy and Bicknell is cleared to play, I really like this team's shot at an NCAA Championship.
 
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#23
#23
pasadenavol said:
Well, TCU just wrapped up the match 4-1. They got revenge for the Vols beating them earlier this season. Was close - last 3 singles matches went to the 3rd set. Good effort today, just came up short. Razor thin margins between the top 10 teams in the country. Way to go Vols, no need to hang your heads!

Sr. Martim Prata did not play, still dealing with injury. Blaise Bicknell (UF transfer) has not been ruled eligible to play. With those two out, I have to think we'd have a lot more fire power in the line up. If Prata get healthy and Bicknell is cleared to play, I really like this team's shot at an NCAA Championship.
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Not sure we're going to get Bicknell. We certainly need to get Prata healthy and going well. We should be encouraged by Gannon's play at No. 6 today--he was up a break in the 3rd set, but on the whole we struggled today, obviously. Losing the doubles point was huge--brutal. Doubles is our strength--or should be--as we've got three good pairs, but with Walton and Harper being so up and down, it's not been a dependable point for us as many analysts thought it would be. Hudd, Diaz and Matsui were good in this tournament--all won some big matches and played well in the clutch--but they all seemed to run out of steam today. All three got beat. However, we will be a major factor in the Spring.
 
#25
#25
This is the first time I have ever been interested in Tennessee tennis and I was glued to my phone today watching the matches. Which players will we be losing next year? I always get confused with the covid year
 
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