Tennis takes three titles in home opener

GCSU men’s tennis began its annual march towards a Peach Belt Conference championship and the NCAA tournament this past weekend, when they stole the show in their first fall tournament.

The Bobcats opened play on their home court, as they hosted the GCSU Men’s Fall Championships on the Centennial Center courts.

The team looked sharp from the opening match, showing no signs of rust from the break. Head Coach Steve Barsby discussed the team’s simple but effective offseason routine.

“The guys pretty much all work at tennis clubs over the summer,” he said, “then they come back and run and do their ropes routines.”

When play concluded on Sunday, Sept. 14, the Bobcats held claim to three of five titles in the tournament, highlighted by an all-Bobcat final in Flight ‘A’ singles.

The match showcased senior All-American Erick Siquiera against improved junior Giovane Nucci, with Siquiera getting the better of his teammate 6-2, 6-4.

“Every time we play each other, it’s tough,” Nucci said. “Erick is a great player and we push each other to a high level.”

Siquiera stays modest even with all his accomplishments.
“I can’t say that I think I’m going to win every time I play,” he said. “There were so many matches last year I won that I could have lost easily.”

He teamed with senior Justin Pickham, who sat out last season as a transfer, to win Flight ‘A’ doubles as well.

“Pickham adds depth, something we were really lacking last year,” Barsby said.

Siquiera is proficient in both singles and doubles, but he has a favorite.”I like singles better, because i grew up playing it,” he said. “South America does not emphasize doubles play, but I am learning to appreciate it since coming here.”

He has also learned quite a bit about the game of tennis in his four years at GCSU.

“I have learned to just literally play,” he said. “The game is less about technique and more about being mentally tough.”

The Flight ‘B’ doubles final was another all-Bobcat affair, featuring a matchup between the experienced tandem of Nucci and junior Max Beliankou and the new duo of sophomore Kyle Uhles and freshman Robert Angelucci.

The veterans took the match, though in an 8-5 slugfest which showed the resolve of the younger players.

Barsby was unsure of what to expect heading into the opening tournament.

“I expected some of these results, with Erick for example,” he said. “But with most of the matches, I was hopeful. Overall, I thought we played very well.”

Siquiera believes in his teammates and looks toward the spring championships.

“I am really excited,” he said. “We are not lacking for talent to push for a national championship.”

The Bobcats resume play Sept. 27-29 at the ITA Nationals in Sumter, S.C.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Sep 19 2008. Filed under Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry