ATLANTA- The Georgia State men's tennis team will open the spring 2022 season on Friday as they travel across town and return to Ken Byers Tennis Complex to face Georgia Tech. The match is set to begin at 5 p.m. ET.
GSU is coming off a stellar fall campaign that concluded at the Georgia Tech Invitational and saw seniors Andrei Duarte and Roberts Grinvalds compete in the ITA National Fall Championships in San Diego, Calif. The duo had a pair of strong performances in doubles competition but came up just short in both matchups.
Prior to that, the Panthers wrapped up an impressive spring 2021 season that included wins in 10-straight matches as well as a trip to the Sun Belt Conference Tournament Finals. Five members of the team also earned All-Sun Belt honors, while senior Vazha Shubladze was named 2021 Sun Belt Player of the Year. Despite the historic season GSU ultimately fell to South Alabama in the title match.
With hopes of finally taking the next step, the team will resume play in the same venue where they ended play this past the fall.
"We're looking forward to competing right up the road this weekend," head coach Jonathan Wolff said. "We have a long history with Georgia Tech, and we're ready for another battle on Friday evening against a talented and well-coached team. Coming off a successful fall, we've put in hard work on and off the court and we're ready to pick up where we left off."
GSU enters the season touting a highly experienced roster, as seven upperclassmen are set to return for the Panthers. Among those returning will be fifth-year senior Kevin Huynh who after graduating opted to play an additional season. Huynh was named All-Sun Belt First Team in doubles following the spring 2021 season.
The weekend will also mark freshmen Edward Tymes and Harrison Kim's first spring with the Panthers. Both Tymes and Kim saw action in the fall 2021 season and garnered success in singles as well as doubles competition.
The team will have a quick turnaround, as GSU is also set to face Wofford on Sunday, Jan. 23 at 11 a.m. ET in the first home match of the season. Originally scheduled for 2 p.m. at the GSU Clarkston Courts, the match will instead be played indoors at Life Time Athletic and Tennis in Peachtree Corners, Ga.
"We also welcome Wofford on Sunday morning in our first home match of the season," Wolff said. "We anticipate a great match, and we're excited to once again showcase GSU tennis at the highest level."
Sunday's match will be the first meeting between the two schools since 2005.
Follow the GSU men's tennis team on Twitter and Instagram (@GSUMTennis) for the latest news and updates throughout the season.
