Spring Break
Five keys for tennis success
JASON BUTT & RACHEL BOWERS
Issue date: 5/1/09 Section: Sports
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They lock our cars, homes and safes.
But keys are also what we use to access these things when we need to use what is behind these doors.
The Georgia men's tennis team enters the NCAA Tournament as the No. 4 seed with a fiery motivation to accomplish what no team has done in 11 years: win three national championships in a row.
The Bulldogs' keys to victory have potential to unlock a new milestone as they sit undisturbed behind a proverbial door cloaked by 63 other teams vying for the same trophy.
1) "Let it rip": Georgia tennis coach Manuel Diaz has seen a downfall in the Bulldogs' infamous aggressive and commanding style of play of late. Knowing the type of competition that lies ahead in the NCAA Tournament, the coach has been adamant about his athletes performing in the manner he knows they can perform.
"I think we got a little careful, and lost a couple spots where we just played too safe. We just need to get out there and let it rip a little bit," Diaz said.
2) Don't look to Illinois: In a sport in which teams are top-heavy in ability, Georgia will do its best to focus on its regional instead of looking toward Illinois.
After the tournament draw was released Tuesday, sophomore Javier Garrapiz said he wasn't too concerned about the bracket - when asked to fill one out.
"I don't want to look to see who we're playing in the round of 16 or the quarterfinals," Garrapiz said. "I want to go match by match by match."
If Georgia gets past South Carolina State Saturday on May 8, it will play the winner of Virginia Tech and UNC-Wilmington. If seeds hold, the fourth-seeded Bulldogs will matchup against 13-seed Illinois.
"They're a good team, but everybody's good now," senior captain Josh Varela said. "So, we've got to take it one match at a time, and if we play Illinois, hopefully we're prepared and can take them out."
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