University of Tennessee Athletics
Notebook: Familiar Names, Different Pairing
October 20, 2010 | Men's Tennis
Oct. 20, 2010
At least for a weekend, the Smith-Sandgren combination is appearing on the doubles draw once again. But it's a little different this time around.
Last season, senior John-Patrick Smith and Davey Sandgren ended their run as one of the most successful doubles pairings in Tennessee history, winning 80 matches together and reaching the finals of the NCAA Doubles Championships twice.
On Friday, however, Smith will play with a different Sandgren: Davey's younger brother and All-SEC performer, Tennys.
Smith and Tennys Sandgren are playing together for the first time and are the No. 2 seed in the main draw of the ITA Ohio Valley Regional Championships.
They are not the only Vols scheduled to make their doubles debut at the tournament. Sophomore Rhyne Williams, who has played all his doubles matches this fall with Smith, is teamed up with fellow sophomore Edward Jones.
Tennessee head coach Sam Winterbotham said doubles is still a work in progress as the Vols sort out pairings for the dual-match season. The loss of two-time All-America Davey Sandgren has left Smith searching for a new doubles partner for the first time in more than two years.
The Vols assembled arguably their strongest doubles lineup in school history in 2010. Smith and Davey Sandgren were mainstays in the top five nationally through most of the season, and Williams and Conkic were ranked as high as fourth while playing at the No. 2 position. Jones and senior Matteo Fago won five key matches at the No. 3 position during Tennessee's run to the finals of the NCAA Championships.
Tennessee was the first team on the scoreboard in nearly every contest, winning the doubles point in 32 of 33 matches. The Vols' only loss in doubles came to Mississippi State, a match Tennessee eventually won 5-2.
"Our doubles needs to improve as a team," Winterbotham said. "Last season, we were very strong in doubles. Obviously, we've lost a very good player in Davey Sandgren, and we need to find a way to replace him in the lineup. We have to have someone step up to fill the hole."
Tennys Sandgren and Jones took some strides in doubles two weeks ago when they teamed up to win the top flight of the Elon Invitational, the first doubles title for both Vols. Sandgren also won the top singles tournament and enters the weekend on a four-match winning streak.
Tennessee's doubles lineup will certainly benefit with the return of Conkic in the spring. Conkic enjoyed his strongest season in doubles as a junior, going 34-4 with Williams and teaming up with Smith to win the 2009 ITA All-American Championships doubles title against some of the best competition in the country.
Conkic reached the semifinals of an ITF Futures event last week in Austin with former All-America Vol, Ben Rogers (2004-06).
Records Watch
Smith enters the ITA Ohio Valley Regionals tied for fifth with UT great Paul Annacone (1982-84) with 115 career singles victories. He is five wins away tying Mark Parsons (1997-2001) for fourth on the Tennessee list. Conkic ranks 12th in career wins with 86.
Fago could soon reach the top 15 in career singles wins as well. With 78 career singles victories, he is three wins away from entering Tennessee's top-15 list, a goal he could reach before the end of the fall season. Associate head coach Chris Woodruff (1992-93) and Fabio Silberberg (1989-91) are tied for 15th on the list with 81 wins each.
In doubles, Smith is fourth in Tennessee history with 113 wins, 18 wins shy of matching Byron Talbot for most all time. Talbot won 131 doubles matches from 1985-88, most of those wins coming with Shelby Cannon.
Players Mentioned
