ATLANTA - The Georgia State men's tennis program made its presence felt during the 2021 Truist Atlanta Open presented by Fiserv, which crowned singles and doubles champions Sunday evening at Atlantic Station. Harvey Maughan, Patrick Lazo and Edward Tymes all played a critical role in the proceedings as Maughan and Lazo served as hitting partners for the professionals, while Tymes served as a ball kid.
"It was great to see members of our team have the opportunity to experience that caliber of a tournament as hitting partners and as a ball kid," said head coach Jonathan Wolff. "For the student-athletes, having the opportunity to see those matches up close and personal with world-class professional tennis players is extraordinary. Our student-athletes had a great experience and built great relationships with those players, as well as the tournament staff. As a program, we look forward to continuing our relationship with the tournament moving forward."
Maughan and Lazo had crucial roles as each player served as hitting partners for the professionals. Hitting partners play a significant role in major tournaments as they help the participants warm up for their matches, while also helping the professionals stay loose during the week.
"Getting to be a hitting partner at the Truist Atlanta Open was a special experience," said Lazo. "I got to test my abilities as a player, but I also got to know the pros on a more personal level. It was great to speak to them as "humans" instead of just a guy on television. I am blessed to be one of the few to experience this and I hope to do it again next year!"
Maughan, a native of Hartlepool, England, will look to use his experience as motivation going forward.
"I had an incredible experience at this year's Truist Atlanta Open," said Maughan. "I learned so much from the pros and got to see a glimpse of what life on tour will be like during my time training with them. I'm extremely grateful for the opportunity. I left this year's tournament hungry to keep working!"
Tymes, an incoming freshman, was able to get a direct view of the matches as he carried out ball kid duties. This week marked his fifth year serving as a volunteer ball kid for the tournament.
"I had an amazing week at the Trust Atlanta Open," said Tymes. "This has been my fifth year volunteering as a ball kid. I believe this year showed me a lot of things I can improve on for my freshman year of collegiate tennis and in the future playing professionally. I am eager to learn more about the game and to continue my development due to this great event."
The Truist Atlanta Open is an ATP Tour 250 event, and it is the first event in the tournament series leading up to the US Open. 2021 is the 18th year of the series.
In the finals of the tournament, John Isner defeated Brandon Nakashima to earn the men's singles crown, while Reilly Opelka and Jannik Sinner defeated Steve Johnson and Jordan Thompson to win the doubles title.
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