The 2013 SEC men’s tennis tournament begins this week, and the stage is set for some great matches. The tournament is being played at the Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center in Oxford, Miss., and the No. 1 seed Georgia Bulldogs look like the team to beat right now.
Georgia (19-4, 11-1 SEC) is the regular season champions in the SEC and has won 10 straight matches heading into the postseason. The Bulldogs won the SEC tournament last season and are one win away from their 10th straight 20-win season. They have been awarded a bye for the first round of play and will play the winner of Kentucky and Mississippi State.
MSU is another team capable of making some noise. The Bulldogs have won three of their last four matches. Freshman Romain Bogaerts leads the way in singles play for the Dogs. The Belgium-native posted a 15-5 record overall this season, including a 6-3 record in SEC play.
MSU head coach Per Nilsson said he is excited for the opportunity for his team to prove themselves.
“All year has been based on trying to peak at the right time,” Nilsson said. “I feel that we are playing better and better. Our guys are competing hard, and even though this tournament is tough, I feel like we can pick up some wins, and if we can get hot, then we can do some real damage.”
One of the bigger surprises this year in SEC men’s tennis has been the play of No. 2 seed Tennessee. Last year, the Vols were barely over .500, ending the year with a 15-14 record. This season, however, the Vols are 20-6 on the year and have won six of their last seven games. Tennessee will face-off against the winner of No. 10 seed Auburn and No. 7 Vanderbilt, both of whom the Vols defeated during their current hot-streak.
This will also be Texas A&M’s first SEC tournament since its move from the Big 12 last season. They are the No. 4 seed in the bracket and will play the winner of Alabama and Ole Miss. The Aggies are 16-11 and 7-5 in conference play on the year and have won their last three matches. Freshman Shane Vinsant, who is 17-7 in singles and has won SEC Freshman of the Week three times this season, leads the way for the Aggies.
Editor’s Note: This article was published prior to the conclusion of the match.