CRIMSON TIDE TENNIS 2007 SeasonReview 2007 marked a great year to be in- Other members of the team spent volved with the University of Alabama time in the rankings but did not finish the men’s tennis team. Head coach Billy Pate season ranked. Thibaudeau spent some and the Crimson Tide gained valuable rec- time in the singles rankings at No. 121 ognition by having one of the most suc- in the middle of the year while Jung and cessful seasons in school history. freshman Saketh Myneni held a No. 44 doubles ranking early in the season. A Lesson in History The Crimson Tide ended the 2007 Success Equals Recognition season with a No. 14 national ranking, Head coach Billy Pate did not go un- tying the 1983 team for the third-highest noticed this season as he led his team to its final ranking in school history. The No. 14 fourth NCAA appearance in five seasons ranking is also the highest ranking since and one of its most successful showings in 1993, when the Tide ended the season at school history. Coach Pate was honored No. 9. for his outstanding coaching this season Alabama posted 22 team wins this with the SEC Co-Coach of the Year and season, making it the only team in 20 years Regional Coach of the Year awards, as well to have a 20-plus win season. as a National Coach of the Year nomina- Senior Joseph Jung became the win- tion. Both awards were the first for Coach ningest player in Alabama history and Pate since he arrived at the Capstone in produced 20 or more wins in each of his 2003. four seasons at the Capstone, a feat un- Billy Mertz was also honored for his matched by any other Tide player. achievements this season. The junior from Billy Mertz entered the record books Silver Spring, Md. received 2nd team All- this season by posting 27 singles victories. SEC honors after posting 25 singles wins That number ties him for sixth all-time in the regular season. Mertz and doubles for singles victories in a season. partner junior Javier Bes also added seven conference doubles victories. Alabama in the National Rankings Not only did the Tide fare well as a Alabama and the SEC team, but also Alabama ended the sea- Alabama proved to be a dominating son with four ranked individuals, three force in the conference this year after post- of which will return next fall. Alabama’s ing a 7-4 record, tying the Tide for third lone senior, Joseph Jung, was the only Tide place. After a disappointing loss to Florida player to hold a national ranking all year in the SEC tournament, the Tide rebound- and ended the season at No. 96. ed and was one of five SEC schools to ad- Junior Billy Mertz entered the rank- vance to the round of 16 in the NCAA ings on April 3rd at No. 86 and climbed up tournament. The Tide finished the season for the rest of the season, eventually end- with the third highest national team rank- ing at No. 71. ing out of the conference schools behind In doubles, sophomores Dan Buike- No. 1 Georgia and No. 7 Ole Miss. Ala- ma and Mathieu Thibaudeau ended the bama returns five of its six singles players season just shy of the top 25 at No. 26 after and will have a good chance at the confer- debuting in the rankings at No. 35 in Feb- ence title next season. ruary. 40 ‘07SeasonRecap Alabama started off the season at Back in conference action, the Tide resulted in finishing the match indoors. home, posting a 5-1 record, with its only encountered two tough teams and found The match came down to Jung on court loss to No. 4 Virginia. Even though the Tide itself on a three-match losing streak before two against Duke’s Joey Atas. Down one lost the battle with the Cavaliers, it proved bouncing back against No. 15 Florida at set, Jung came from behind in the second to be a positive experience. Alabama won home. Once again, Alabama took the dou- set and won in a tie-breaker to force a third the doubles point against its first ranked bles point before dominating the bottom of and deciding set. Jung defeated Atas 7-5 in team of the season and the No. 1 tandem of the singles lineup en route to a 5-2 victory. the third set to send his team to the Sweet Buikema and Thibaudeau broke onto the The Tide then breezed by South Carolina Sixteen for only the fifth time in school his- national scene after defeating No. 7 Somdev and Arkansas, falling to LSU along the way. tory. Jung also picked up his 20th win and Devvarman and Treat Huey. Back at home, the Tide hosted a non- became the only Tide player to earn 20 wins After the loss to Virginia, the Tide conference double-header to honor senior in each of his four seasons at the Capstone. downed Furman and Winthrop before fac- Joseph Jung. Jung made his final appear- Alabama headed to Athens, Ga. for the ing No. 23 Clemson in its last pre-season ance at the UA Varsity courts as a member first time since 2003 and prepared to face home match. Alabama fared well against of the Crimson Tide and helped his team No. 4 Baylor. Alabama lost the doubles the higher-ranked squad from South Caro- earn two solid victories on that day. point but put in a good showing in singles. lina and used its dominating doubles play Alabama headed on the road the next The Tide was in good positions on courts to get ahead going into singles. The Tide day to in-state foe Auburn for the final 2, 3 and 6 in singles before Thibaudeau lost dominated the Tigers in the bottom of the match of the regular season. With a win, the deciding match on court 4 in three sets. lineup with Buikema clinching the match the Tide would secure a four-way for third Baylor won the match by a 4-0 ledger and from the No. 6 slot. The combination of heading into the conference tournament. went on to the semi-finals. strong doubles play and a solid bottom half In an exciting match that lasted two days Although the team’s season was over, of the lineup in singles would prove to be the Tide came out victorious with Thiba- two Alabama individuals stayed in Athens, the recipe for success for the remainder of udeau clinching the match from the No. 4 Ga. to prepare for the NCAA doubles tour- the season. slot. With the match knotted at 3-3 and nament. The Tide’s top tandem of Dan After Clemson, the Tide headed on its Thibaudeau in his third set, rain forced Buikema and Mathieu Thibaudeau were se- first road trip of the season to face Prince- the match to be delayed until the following lected as one of the nation’s top 32 doubles ton and Columbia. Alabama won with ease day. Thibaudeau dominated the rest of the teams to duke it out for the national dou- at both venues and entered conference play match and clinched his fifth match of the bles title. The Alabama pair drew a tough with confidence. season. first round match-up against the reigning The Crimson Tide knew it was going Following the emotional match with champions from Illinois. Alabama lost in to be tested in the first half of conference Auburn, the Tide set its sights on the SEC the first round in a close match and Illinois action and they proved they were up to tournament. Alabama breezed through the went on to the finals for the second consec- the challenge. Alabama spend the first two first round against South Carolina but did utive year. weeks on the road, first at Vanderbilt and not fare so well against the Florida Gators. Alabama ended the season with a 22-8 Kentucky and then on to Ole Miss and Mis- With the conference season coming record, nine returners and a lot of valuable sissippi State. All four matches came down to an end, the No. 17 Crimson Tide found experience that will better prepare the Tide to the wire, with the Tide capturing a 4-3 itself heading to Durham, N.C., home of for the 2008 season. victory at Vanderbilt, No. 7 Ole Miss and the No. 14 ranked host Duke, for the first h)MVERYPROUDOFTHESEASONWEHAD v Mississippi State. two round of the NCAA tournament. Pate STATED!LABAMAHEADCOACH"ILLY0ATEh,AST Upon returning home, Alabama took a and the Tide focused set their sights on the fall the guys really set some lofty but achiev- short hiatus from conference action to play first-round foe No. 51 East Tennessee State. able goals and were able to reach almost all in the Blue Gray national in Montgomery, East Tennessee State was a tough first round of them. However, this is where we want to Ala. The Tide faced three formidable oppo- pick and Alabama had to play to their full be on an annual basis. I think we’ll be ea- nents on the road to the tournament cham- potential to overcome the Bucs. ger to achieve even more next year and I’m pionship, where they faced a tough Notre Next on the list was No. 14 Duke on excited about the potential this team has to Dame squad.