2008 Woodie Awards
Helgeson Advances, Hyndman falls In NCAA singles second round
Issue date: 5/21/08 Section: Sports
TULSA, Okla. - Georgia senior Travis Helgeson recorded another win Thursday to advance to the round of 16 at the NCAA Singles Championships in Tulsa. Senior Kelley Hyndman fought hard against a former NCAA Champion but fell in a tough three-set effort.
Helgeson, the No. 4 seed, quickly took down the first set, 6-2. Hensel then rebounded to win the second set in a tiebreaker, 7-6 (7-5). After trading service holds with Hensel, the Volunteers' No. 1 singles player, for the first 11 games of the third set, Helgeson was ahead 6-5 and broke serve to end the match and take the victory by a final score of 6-2, 6-7(5), 7-5. Helgeson's win avenges an earlier loss to Hensel in the regular season, as he previously lost in three sets in the final match of the year in Knoxville.
"Travis is playing great tennis," said Georgia men's head coach Manuel Diaz. "The biggest challenge he is facing is that the guys he has to play are so much fresher than he is. Hopefully he can start bouncing back in the next day or two from the fatigue of the team tournament. His arm and his legs are a little tired, but I am so proud of the way he has gotten through the first two days following the team tournament. The hardest part physically is having enough gas in tank after playing five team matches in six days. Travis had a match point in the second set today which didn't go his way, so the match was extended for another hour or so. He could have benefited from that extra bit of rest, but we were glad to see he found the fortitude to keep pushing on and win."
Helgeson, who will be named an ITA All-American for the fourth straight year, is looking to post a career-best tournament effort. For two years running, he has reached the quarterfinals of this event, and hopes to surpass that mark in his final NCAA Singles Championships appearance.
Helgeson get back into action Friday at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center as he takes on the winner of 37th-ranked Bassam Beidas of Pepperdine and 52nd-ranked Nestor Briceno of Florida.
Helgeson, the No. 4 seed, quickly took down the first set, 6-2. Hensel then rebounded to win the second set in a tiebreaker, 7-6 (7-5). After trading service holds with Hensel, the Volunteers' No. 1 singles player, for the first 11 games of the third set, Helgeson was ahead 6-5 and broke serve to end the match and take the victory by a final score of 6-2, 6-7(5), 7-5. Helgeson's win avenges an earlier loss to Hensel in the regular season, as he previously lost in three sets in the final match of the year in Knoxville.
"Travis is playing great tennis," said Georgia men's head coach Manuel Diaz. "The biggest challenge he is facing is that the guys he has to play are so much fresher than he is. Hopefully he can start bouncing back in the next day or two from the fatigue of the team tournament. His arm and his legs are a little tired, but I am so proud of the way he has gotten through the first two days following the team tournament. The hardest part physically is having enough gas in tank after playing five team matches in six days. Travis had a match point in the second set today which didn't go his way, so the match was extended for another hour or so. He could have benefited from that extra bit of rest, but we were glad to see he found the fortitude to keep pushing on and win."
Helgeson, who will be named an ITA All-American for the fourth straight year, is looking to post a career-best tournament effort. For two years running, he has reached the quarterfinals of this event, and hopes to surpass that mark in his final NCAA Singles Championships appearance.
Helgeson get back into action Friday at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center as he takes on the winner of 37th-ranked Bassam Beidas of Pepperdine and 52nd-ranked Nestor Briceno of Florida.
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