Men’s Tennis Central: #9 Tennessee at #5 South Carolina

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Riding a five-match winning streak, the ninth-ranked Tennessee men’s tennis team prepares for a top-10 road showdown at No. 5 South Carolina Sunday. First serve is slated for noon ET.
 
Winning 11 of its last 13 matches, Tennessee is 7-2 in conference action ahead of its second-to-last road match of the regular season.
 
Live stats for the match can be found here, while a live stream can be accessed here.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Tennessee battled for a hard-fought road win at No. 20 Florida Friday, winning 4-3 behind Emile Hudd’s clinch.

SCOUTING SOUTH CAROLINA

Tennessee (17-6, 7-2 SEC) and South Carolina (17-4, 6-3 SEC) will log the 60th meeting in series history Sunday, with the Vols holding a 38-21 all-time advantage, dating to 1968. UT has won 15 of the past 18 matchups with the Gamecocks and five of the past six.

 

A win Sunday would give Tennessee a third top-10 win in its past six matches and its second top-five triumph of the year.

 

South Carolina has dropped two of its past three home matches, 4-3 to Auburn and 4-0 against Georgia Friday. When the teams last met in Columbia, third-ranked Tennessee took down the 16th-ranked Gamecocks, 4-1, on March 5, 2021.

 

VOLS IN THE RANKINGS

Singles

#2 – Johannus Monday

#44 – Emile Hudd

#124 – Shunsuke Mitsui

 

Doubles

#2 – Pat Harper/Johannus Monday 

#44 – Emile Hudd/Shunsuke Mitsui

 

GAMECOCKS IN THE RANKINGS

Singles

#6 – Toby Samuel

#11 – Connor Thomson

#88 – Casey Hoole

#120 – Raphael Lambling

 

Doubles

#1 – Toby Samuel/Connor Thomson 

#31 – Jake Beasley/James Story

HOT AT THE RIGHT TIME

• The Vols have found their rhythm as the postseason looms, picking up a top-30 win in each of their last five matches. This includes a trio of top-12 triumphs and four top-25 wins in all. Those wins are over No. 9 Columbia (4-1), No. 29 Texas A&M (6-1), No. 12 Mississippi State (5-2), No. 4 Kentucky (4-0) and No. 20 Florida (4-3)

 

NO. 1 VERSUS NO. 2

• A clash between the nation’s top two doubles teams is set to take place on court one Sunday, with Tennessee’s second-ranked Pat Harper and Johannus Monday facing the nation’s top-ranked pairing of Toby Samuel and Connor Thomson.

 

DUBS DUBS

• In 23 matches this year, UT has won the doubles point 20 times and in its 89 matches since the start of the 2021 dual season, Tennessee has won the doubles point 69 times for a .775 clip in that span.

HUDD EYES THE CENTURY…