By Elizabeth Grimsley
While most University of Georgia students play in the snow on their day off from school, the men’s and women’s tennis teams are hard at work. Both teams qualified to the 2014 ITA National Indoor Championships after a strong showing this past weekend in the first round.
For the men, it was the 11th-straight year the team has qualified to the championships. The men have qualified to every national indoor championship since the tournament began in 1973 — except for one. On the women’s side, the team is headed to its 24th championship.
Although most sports either take up residence on an outdoor playing field or are exclusively indoors, tennis works differently. Players and teams have the advantage of practicing indoors or out when the weather isn’t ideal.
During the cold winter months, teams participate in the indoor season where competitions and matches are played indoors. Since any form of precipitation basically shuts down courts due to slippery and unsafe conditions, indoor courts are advantageous for continuing training through bad outdoor situations.
The Georgia tennis teams have a history of doing very well during the indoor season. The men have won two indoor titles, both earned back-to-back in 2006 and 2007 while the women have three total indoor titles in their repertoire with the latest coming in 2002.
To qualify to the tournament, teams must finish first in their respective four-team brackets. The weekend tournament features 60 men and women’s teams at 15 different sites over the country.
But until the next round of the indoor championships start Feb. 7 for the women and Feb. 14 for the men, the Bulldogs take time to get more competitive experience under their belts.
The men will leave the snow in Athens, Ga., behind and travel to Los Angeles. Sun and warm weather seems to be a norm with the Georgia tennis teams this season as the women recently traveled to Maui, Hawaii for the Maui Tennis Classic.
In 2013 the men traveled to Palm Springs, Calif., and the women to Los Angeles for tournaments while Georgians suffered through the cold weather back east.
There are definitely some small differences between playing indoors and outdoors. However, looking at the Bulldogs’ indoor and outdoor records in the past shows no sign of change in one way or another. Tennis is tennis no matter where it’s played, and Georgia is just focused on doing well and possibly coming home with another championship.
(Photo/@UGAWomensTennis)
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