The Tennessee Volunteers men’s tennis team heads to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, to play in the Wake Forest Invitational Thursday with hopes of matching their title-filled success from last weekend.
The Vols are coming off a weekend in which the pairing of Hunter Reese and Mikelis Libietis captured their second consecutive ITA All-American Championship. Junior Bartosz Sawicki also came away with his first career singles title at the UTC Steve Baras Fall Classic.
After such an eventful weekend, the Vols should have some momentum heading into this weekend’s tournament, especially Reese and Libietis, who are riding a wave of confidence after becoming he first duo in history to win back-to-back ITA doubles titles.
“In doubles, especially, I think Mikelis and I are on a roll,” Reese said. “I think we are pretty tough to beat, regardless of where we are in the season.”
Reese and Libietis are currently undefeated this season with a record of, 5-0, and haven’t lost in their last 11 matches dating back to last year.
The duo is coming off a short week as the ITA’s finished up Monday. Reese said most of their tournaments tend to end on Sundays, so this tournament leaves them a day behind on normal preparation giving them only one practice day.
“So just try to get a lot of balls, keep my rhythm and I’m in a pretty good rhythm coming off a tournament,” Reese said. “So as far as preparation goes, just off the court, getting my laundry done and all that stuff.
“All the other guys they’ve been here, they’ve been working hard, and they’ll just keep doing what they’re doing and we will be ready to go I hope.”
Head coach Sam Winterbotham has been preparing his team for the tournament this weekend. Coach Winterbotham said the tournament is a mixture of indoor and outdoor matches. His team is preparing normally and should be ready.
“We can see an improvement in the team and we can see an improvement physically in them, and an improvement in their games,” Winterbotham said. “Guys are working hard on things and doing really well in the individuals.”
With the fall season winding down, the Vols are trying to take advantage of every moment they have on the court.
“Half the team has had a break and they’ll be playing this tournament and then we’ll be into the next tournament,” Winterbotham said. “Unless they qualify for the national championship in November, than the regional will be our last college tournament of the fall. So these next two weeks you’ll see a different level of tennis and it’s just typical.”
As the season winds down all eyes move to the spring and the end of this season. Winterbotham said the results may not be there but improving is the most important.
“We need you really at a different level when you leave to go home on your break, then when you started your break; physically and with you’re tennis,” Winterbotham said. “That’s all the fall is to us, to prepare ourselves for the spring season.”
