For now, all head coach Sylvain Guichard and the Mississippi State men’s tennis team can do is wait.
The 64-team field for the 2004 NCAA Men’s Tennis Team Championship will be announced May 5 at 3:45 p.m. on ESPN News. The tournament consists of 16 regions of four teams, and the 29th-ranked Bulldogs hope to receive a two seed in one of the regions.
Opening round play begins May 14. State last played on April 23, so the Bulldogs have a three-week break between matches for some much-needed recovery time.
All-American Romain Ambert is still battling an ankle injury that forced him to miss five singles matches this season. State lost each of the matches that Ambert missed. His health for the NCAA Championship is unknown.
“He can walk with no pain,” Guichard said, adding, “but once he has to run, stop and go back, he’s in pain. It’s hard for him to deal with because of his style of game. He’s a grinder, and his legs made him the player he is. The weather getting warmer and the time off we have, hopefully, will help him.”
However, Ambert’s injury has much more than physical effects. With Ambert out, each player moves up a spot in singles, causing everyone to play out of position.
“We need the rest,” Guichard said. “Everyone is banged up from playing over their heads. That’s hard to do in our league.”
Certainly, the SEC offers no breaks in a season. Ten SEC teams rank in the nation’s Top 30, and the other two rank in the Top 40. State finished with a 2-9 record in the conference to go along with an 8-13 overall record.
State finished its regular season on a nine-match losing streak but upset No. 18 Tennessee in the first round of the Southeastern Conference Championships in Nashville last week. The Bulldogs then lost to seventh-ranked and eventual champion Georgia in the quarterfinals.