University of Tennessee Athletics
Saturday, January 25
Knoxville, TN
2 PM
University of Tennessee
vs
#25 Arizona State
Photo by: Maury Neipris/Tennessee Athletics
Men’s Tennis Central: ITA Kick-Off
January 24, 2020 | Men's Tennis
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The 16th-ranked Tennessee men's tennis team looks to qualify for the ITA National Indoor Championships this weekend as it hosts the Tennessee regional of the ITA Kick-Off Weekend at the Goodfriend Tennis Center.
The Vols (5-0) face No. 25 Arizona State Saturday at 2 p.m. ET with the winner advancing to play the victor between No. 14 Oklahoma State and No. 18 Columbia on Sunday in the championship match at 1 p.m. A consolation match will be played Sunday at 10 a.m.
The winner of the two-day tournament will advance to next month's 16-team ITA National Indoor Championships in Madison, Wis., running Feb. 13-16.
KICK-OFF WEEKEND HISTORY
UT is 14-6 all-time in the ITA Kick-Off Weekend since the event's inception in 2009, advancing to the national indoors field six consecutive times from 2009-2014. Tennessee looks to qualify for the first time since doing so at home in 2014.
SERIES HISTORY
Saturday's meeting with Arizona State will be the first since 1993. The Vols hold a 4-1 record all-time against the Sun Devils and have won the last two meetings (7-2 in 1992 and 5-1 in 1993). Against Oklahoma State, UT holds a 5-4 advantage with the last meeting going the Cowboys way in 2015 4-1. Tennessee and Columbia have met just once before in 2015, a 4-3 victory for the Lions.
SANDGREN AND SMITH ADVANCE DOWN UNDER
As the Vols prep for the ITA Kick-Off, VFLs Tennys Sandgren and JP Smith are representing the Big Orange at the 2020 Australian Open. Sandgren has won three singles matches to advance to the round of 16 for the second time in his career at the AO. The Gallatin, Tenn., native has defeated Maro Trungelliti, the No. 8 seeded Matteo Berrettini and fellow American Sam Querrey.
Smith fell in his opening singles match to Guido Pella but is back in action in mixed doubles. The Australia native is paired with fellow countrywoman Astra Sharma, and the Aussie duo won their opening match 6-3, 6-3 over Belinda Woolcock and Blake Mott.
ITA KICK-OFF WEEKEND
National Rankings
Team
No. 14 – Oklahoma State (3-0)
No. 16 – Tennessee (5-0)
No. 18 – Columbia (0-0)
No. 25 – Arizona State (1-1)
Tennessee
Singles
No. 23 – Adam Walton
No. 112 – Finn Stodder
Doubles
No. 49 – Scott Jones/Luca Wiedenmann
Oklahoma State
Singles
No. 41 – Matej Vocel
No. 87 – Emile Hudd
No. 91 – Dominik Kellovsky
Doubles
No. 2 – Matej Vocel/Dominik Kellovsky
No. 19 – Luke Hammond/Emile Hudd
Columbia
Singles
No. 6 – Jack Lin
No. 73 – Jackie Tang
No. 79 – Alex Kotzen
Doubles
No. 3 – Jackie Tang/Jack Lin
Arizona State
Singles
No. 99 – Makey Rakotomalala
Doubles
No. 27 – Tim Ruehl/Andrea Bolla
The Vols (5-0) face No. 25 Arizona State Saturday at 2 p.m. ET with the winner advancing to play the victor between No. 14 Oklahoma State and No. 18 Columbia on Sunday in the championship match at 1 p.m. A consolation match will be played Sunday at 10 a.m.
The winner of the two-day tournament will advance to next month's 16-team ITA National Indoor Championships in Madison, Wis., running Feb. 13-16.
KICK-OFF WEEKEND HISTORY
UT is 14-6 all-time in the ITA Kick-Off Weekend since the event's inception in 2009, advancing to the national indoors field six consecutive times from 2009-2014. Tennessee looks to qualify for the first time since doing so at home in 2014.
SERIES HISTORY
Saturday's meeting with Arizona State will be the first since 1993. The Vols hold a 4-1 record all-time against the Sun Devils and have won the last two meetings (7-2 in 1992 and 5-1 in 1993). Against Oklahoma State, UT holds a 5-4 advantage with the last meeting going the Cowboys way in 2015 4-1. Tennessee and Columbia have met just once before in 2015, a 4-3 victory for the Lions.
SANDGREN AND SMITH ADVANCE DOWN UNDER
As the Vols prep for the ITA Kick-Off, VFLs Tennys Sandgren and JP Smith are representing the Big Orange at the 2020 Australian Open. Sandgren has won three singles matches to advance to the round of 16 for the second time in his career at the AO. The Gallatin, Tenn., native has defeated Maro Trungelliti, the No. 8 seeded Matteo Berrettini and fellow American Sam Querrey.
Smith fell in his opening singles match to Guido Pella but is back in action in mixed doubles. The Australia native is paired with fellow countrywoman Astra Sharma, and the Aussie duo won their opening match 6-3, 6-3 over Belinda Woolcock and Blake Mott.
ITA KICK-OFF WEEKEND
National Rankings
Team
No. 14 – Oklahoma State (3-0)
No. 16 – Tennessee (5-0)
No. 18 – Columbia (0-0)
No. 25 – Arizona State (1-1)
Tennessee
Singles
No. 23 – Adam Walton
No. 112 – Finn Stodder
Doubles
No. 49 – Scott Jones/Luca Wiedenmann
Oklahoma State
Singles
No. 41 – Matej Vocel
No. 87 – Emile Hudd
No. 91 – Dominik Kellovsky
Doubles
No. 2 – Matej Vocel/Dominik Kellovsky
No. 19 – Luke Hammond/Emile Hudd
Columbia
Singles
No. 6 – Jack Lin
No. 73 – Jackie Tang
No. 79 – Alex Kotzen
Doubles
No. 3 – Jackie Tang/Jack Lin
Arizona State
Singles
No. 99 – Makey Rakotomalala
Doubles
No. 27 – Tim Ruehl/Andrea Bolla
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
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