Rincon Releases 2014-15 MTennis Schedule
The University of Miami men’s tennis team will host one fall event and 15 spring matchups this season at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center, head coach Mario Rincon announced Thursday.
In the spring, Miami faces 15 teams that finished the 2013-14 season ranked in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s Top 70 and 13 teams that played in the NCAA Tournament. Seven of those teams will travel to Coral Gables, including the 2014 ACC Champion, Virginia.
“We are playing a very challenging schedule in both the fall and in the spring,” Rincon said. “With this schedule, our guys will be tested because they will be facing some of the best players in the country. By the spring we hope to put together all of our talent and have a great season.”
The Fall Schedule
In the fall, Rincon will split the team across 10 events in seven states, playing both team and individual matches.
“In the fall we have been invited to some great tournaments, so we are using both individual dates as well as some team dates,” Rincon said. “We are going to get to play some tournaments on clay courts, which will be a lot of fun for our guys, and also an opportunity to play long points, have long matches, hit a lot of balls and get great weekends of practice, as well.”
The team opens the season Sept. 12-15 in Jacksonville, Fla., at the Bedford Cup, followed by a pair of events Sept. 19-21 at the Olympia Fields Country Club Invitational (Olympia Fields, Ill.), and Farnsworth Ivy Plus (Princeton, N.J.).
After the All-America Championships in Tulsa, Okla., and the ITA Regional Championship in Athens, Ga., the Canes return to Coral Gables for the Miami Fall Invitational Oct. 24-26. Three-straight USTA events follow: USTA Clay Court Invitational at Disney (Oct. 30-Nov. 3), USTA F30 Futures (Oct. 31-Nov. 9 in Birmingham, Ala.) and the USTA/ITA National Indoor Championships in Flushing Meadows, N.Y.
The Canes wrap up the fall season Nov. 7-9 in Gainesville at the Florida Invitational.
The Spring Schedule
In the spring UM plays 11 non-conference dates before opening the grueling 12-match ACC schedule. Ten of Miami’s 12 conference matches will be against teams ranked in the ITA’s Top 40 one season ago.
“Obviously the ACC is one of the best, if not the best conference in the country, and we will be pushed by every team that we play this spring,” Rincon said. “Hopefully we can score some wins against the best teams in the country.”
Miami opens the spring season against a pair of in-state foes, hosting Florida Atlantic on Jan. 18 and UCF Jan. 19. The Canes then hit the road for ITA Kickoff Weekend in Waco, Texas, where the team will face Drake, then either Baylor or Tulane.
The Hurricanes stay in Coral Gables for all six matches in the month of February, beginning and ending with double headers Feb. 7 and Feb. 28. UM hosts FGCU and Liberty (Feb. 7), then Kennesaw State (Feb. 13) and Pepperdine (Feb. 14), before concluding the month with two matches against Bethune-Cookman (Feb. 28).
March sees five more home events for the Canes, as well as a roadtrip to North Carolina. The final non-conference matchup is March 6 against George Washington, then UM opens the ACC schedule against Georgia Tech on March 8. The Hurricanes travel to North Carolina for ACC matchups against a pair of Top 15 teams from last year, North Carolina (March 13) and Duke (March 15). Three-straight home ACC matches wind down the month of March, as the Canes host Clemson (March 20), Notre Dame (March 27) and Boston College (March 29).
April is a travel month for Miami, as the first four matches are road tilts against Top 40 teams, before wrapping up the regular season at home. The Canes play at Florida State (April 3), then are at first-year ACC opponent Louisville on April 5. After a trip to North Carolina to face Wake Forest (April 10) and NC State (April 12), the Canes come home to battle Virginia Tech (April 17) and 2014 ACC Champion Virginia (April 19).
The ACC Championships will be played in Cary, N.C., April 23-26, followed by the NCAA Tournament (May 8-17) and the NCAA Individual Tournament (May 20-25), both in Waco, Texas.
About the Team
The Hurricanes welcome six new faces to the team, added to two senior captains and a pair of sophomore returners.
“We are preparing for a great year with our two senior captains, Wilfredo Gonzalez and Henrique Tsukamoto, along with the six new players, and our sophomores, Bernard Tefel and Daniel Shebshayevich, who gained experience last season,” said Rincon. “Our two captains are both great leaders and both have an amazing worth ethic. Those two are team players, they are unselfish, fair, and they have the experience to help and lead a young team like ours. The six new players all play different styles, each bringing something special to the table. With this roster we have a lot of depth and great options for both singles and doubles.”
