ATHENS – It was a monumental weekend for Georgia women’s tennis.
The Lady Bulldogs won the SEC Tournament championship, thumping Texas A&M 4-1 at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex to claim the 10th tourney title in program history.
What made it particularly satisfying is that it was the first won by first-year coach Drake Bernstein.
“We are playing our best tennis right now,” said Bernstein, who succeeded Jeff Wallace this season. “We’ve grown as the year has gone on. We’re a different team than we were in February. We’re excited about what’s in front of us.”
The No. 6-ranked Bulldogs won the doubles point and Anastasiia Lopata clinched the match at No. 4 singles. Georgia heads into the NCAA regionals having won seven consecutive matches by the combined score of 31-1, six coming via sweep. The Bulldogs have claimed three of the last four SEC tournament titles.
Notably, the outdoor championship was won indoors in the Bulldogs’ reconstructed Lindsey Hopkins Indoor Facility. Sunday’s relentless rain forced the competition into the recently-opened building. It was the Lady Dogs’ first competitive match inside the $28 million facility.
Adding more old-meets-new nostalgia to the affair was a lot of former Bulldogs were on hand to witness the feat. On Friday night, the ultimate retirement party was held for Wallace at the Georgia Theater in downtown. It featured a Tom Petty tribute band, which invited Wallace, a huge Petty fan, on stage to sing and play air guitar.
Approximately 600 miles away in Baton Rouge, another historic era in Georgia men’s tennis was careening toward an end. Manuel Diaz was coaching his last SEC Tournament for the Bulldogs, who fell to Arkansas in the opening round.
It’s been a tough final season for one of UGA’s most legendary sports figures. Ethan Quinn turned pro after his NCAA championship last year and Georgia also lost No. 1-ranked signee Alex Michelsen to a late decision to go the professional route this year. That left the SEC’s all-time winningest coach with a somewhat depleted roster for the always-rugged journey that is SEC tennis.
Georgia should have a chance to give Diaz one more hurrah. The Bulldogs are expected to receive an NCAA tournament invitation.
“Heartbreaking loss for our guys,” Diaz said in Baton Rouge. “We’ll get back home and regroup and wait for the NCAA draw. We’re going to work very hard for the next two weeks.”
Associate head coach Jamie Hunt has been appointed to take over for Diaz at season’s end.
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