The Red and Black

Issue date: 2/15/08 Section: Sports

SCHNUGG

Manuel Diaz is hoping history does not repeat itself. If it does, it's going to be a long flight home from Seattle.

When the No. 2 Georgia men's tennis team begins play in the ITA National Team Indoors tournament today, it will face a familiar foe in a familiar place.

The 2-seeded Bulldogs open with 15-seed Washington, a team it lost to in the first round in 2001, also the last time Seattle hosted the National Indoors.

"It's déjà vu from 2001, when we played (Washington) in the first round at their home," Diaz said. "But we didn't come out on the winning side."

Georgia came into the 2001 contest ranked fourth in the country before Washington upset the Bulldogs 4-3.

"It's going to be fun, playing their team at their home," sophomore Nate Schnugg said. "That's what you want. We're going to be jacked up for it."

The Bulldogs head into the Indoor tournament as defending champions.

"I think we are entering this tournament with a totally clean slate," Diaz said. "This is a different team and our guys have a lot to prove, independently of our accomplishments over the last couple of years."

This is the fifth time the tournament will be hosted in Seattle at Washington's Nordstrom Tennis Center.

"It's going to be exciting," Washington head coach Matt Anger said. "The tournament's been a lot of fun every time it's been here. Obviously I'm excited about our matches, but really the whole tournament is great and it's good to bring this many teams playing this type of tournament here in Seattle."

Georgia holds a 2-1 advantage in the all-time series.

"We are going into this focused and with the idea that we want to defend our National Championship," Diaz said.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools