NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Vanderbilt men’s tennis heads back on the road this week for a challenging Southeastern Conference road slate against No. 10 South Carolina and top-ranked Florida.
“We are excited to play the No. 1 and No. 10 nationally ranked teams in Florida and South Carolina this weekend,” said head coach Ian Duvenhage.
The Commodores travel to the Palmetto State for their first contest of the weekend against the Gamecocks at 4 p.m. (CT) in Columbia, South Carolina, before a noon matchup on Sunday with the Gators in Gainesville, Florida.
Vandy enters its road test this weekend with a 14-6 record on the season and 2-5 in SEC play. Florida tops the current SEC standings with an undefeated conference record (7-0), while the Gamecocks (5-2) are tied for third with Georgia.
Cracked Racquets’ SEC Redzone
- Both the SEC Network and Cracked Racquets have announced a partnership that allows more coverage of collegiate tennis within the conference.
- The SEC Redzone broadcasts are set to run for Friday SEC and nonconference matchups throughout the regular season. This week’s slate is highlighted by Vandy’s visit to top 10 South Carolina.
- In conjunction with the live broadcasts of matches, Cracked Racquets will produce a weekly SEC focused show to highlight upcoming events and recap matches.
Duvenhage Returns to The Swamp
Vanderbilt men’s tennis head coach Ian Duvenhage returns to Gainesville after serving as the head coach for the Florida men’s tennis team from 1989-2001. During his 13-year tenure, the Gators became one of only three schools to finish in the national top 16 for nine consecutive years. In addition, Florida won two SEC titles and made 11 NCAA appearances, including a Final Four appearance in 2000, under Duvenhage’s tutelage.
Debriefing
The Dores concluded their March homestand last week with the conclusion of their nonconference schedule and entering the heart of conference play.
Originally scheduled as a neutral matchup in Auburn, Alabama, on Jan. 30, Vandy welcomed Big Ten Foe Indiana for a mid-week match last Wednesday. Teaming up for the first time this season, fifth-year senior George Harwell and sophomore Jeremie Casabon clinched the opening point for the Dores. Afterwards, the squad posted three singles points to halt the Hoosiers in a 4-0 sweep and go undefeated (3-0) in Big Ten play on the season.
Vandy split a pair of conference matches last weekend, nearly upsetting No. 12 Kentucky and winning a nailbiter to Alabama. Last Friday against the Wildcats, the Dores put up a fight in singles play, but ultimately fell short 4-3. The match was highlighted by Harwell, who picked up the third and final point for the Dores after defeating preseason No. 1 player and 2021 NCAA singles semifinalist, Liam Draxl, 7-5, 1-6, 7-6 (4), on the top court.
Last Sunday against Alabama, Vandy rolled the Crimson Tide in a nailbiter, 4-3. The Dores got off to a quick start, clinching the doubles point, before a back-and-forth battle in singles play. Coming down to Court 2, junior Joubert Klopper clinched his first SEC match for the Dores in a three-set thriller, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, over Enzo Aguiard, who was named SEC Freshman of the Week on Feb. 16. After the singles victory, Klopper holds a 14-4 dual record and is 5-1 in SEC play.
Scouting the Opponents
- No. 10 South Carolina (16-5, 5-2 SEC): The last time the Dores won over the Gamecocks was March 16, 2018, in a 5-2 victory at the Currey Tennis Center. Vandy hasn’t won in Columbia since March 29, 2015, when the Dores swept the Gamecocks 4-0. South Carolina had a nice run at the ITA National Team Indoor Championships held last February, picking up wins against a pair of top 10 teams at the time – Stanford, who was ranked No. 8, and SEC foe Kentucky, who sat at 10th nationally. Currently, South Carolina is tied for third with Georgia in the SEC standings with a 5-2 conference record and 16-5 overall. During last week’s road slate, the Gamecocks spilt a pair of matches, falling to North Carolina State 4-1, before sweeping SEC foe Arkansas, 7-0, in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Individually, two Gamecocks are ranked in the latest ITA singles rankings – No. 3 Daniel Rodrigues and No. 57 Toby Samuel. In the doubles rankings, Rodrigues and Connor Thomson come in at No. 13 nationally.
- No. 1 Florida (15-2, 7-0 SEC): The last time the Dores won over the Gators was their SEC home opener on March 6, 2015, in a 4-3 upset victory at the Currey Tennis Center. Since then, Florida has been on a seven-match winning streak against Vandy. The Gators had a good showing at the ITA National Team Indoor Championships held last February, picking up wins against a pair of top 10 teams at the time – Virginia, who was ranked No. 7, and SEC foe Georgia, who sat at 9th nationally. Last Friday, the Gators traveled to Arkansas to clinch their 10th doubles point in a row en route to a dominant win against the Razorbacks 6-1. Currently, Florida tops the nation and the SEC standings with an undefeated conference record (7-0) and 15-2 overall. Individually, six Gators are ranked in the latest ITA singles rankings led by top-ranked Ben Shelton, while three duos sit in the rankings for doubles play, led by the team of Sam Riffice and Shelton at No. 11 nationally.
ITA Rankings
- In the current ITA team rankings, the Dores sit at No. 41 after picking up their first conference home win on the season against Alabama. Vandy currently holds a 14-6 record heading into a challenging road test against a pair of SEC East foes that are both ranked nationally in the top 10.
- Harwell, a fifth-year senior and No. 1 singles player, sits at No. 44 in the latest ITA singles rankings.
- Junior Siim Troost and freshman Michael Ross sit at 80th nationally, together the pair owns a 13-5 record on the top court.
Klopper Earns SEC Honors
The junior was named SEC Player of the Week, as announced by the league office on Feb. 16.
A native of Bloemfontein, South Africa, Klopper, was honored for his 7-0 dual record at the time, which included three wins during the doubleheader against ACC foe Virginia Tech and The Citadel on Feb. 13. Klopper clinched the match against the Hokies in a two-set thriller, 7-6 (2), 6-4, on Court 2. Later in the afternoon, Klopper moved up to the top singles spot to defeat his Bulldogs opponent in straight sets, 6-2, 6-0.
Currently, he has a combined 41-14 record including 26-7 in singles and 15-7 in doubles. During the dual season, Klopper’s 21-9 record is highlighted by 6-2 in SEC play and 14-4 singles record.
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On the Radar
The Dores return to Currey Tennis Center for their home finale and Senior Day against in-state and SEC rival Tennessee on April 10. As part of alumni weekend, the match against the top five Volunteers will start at noon with Senior Day festivities taking place prior to the match. Vanderbilt will be recognizing three seniors – Max Freeman, George Harwell and Macsen Sisam.
