Men’s Tennis

Athens, Ga., is more than the host of Northwestern’s first-round match of the NCAA tournament.

NU coach Paul Torricelli described the city where the University of Georgia is located as the “mecca of men’s college tennis,” as Georgia is the home of the ITA Men’s Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame.

The Wildcats (12-12) will travel to Athens to face Clemson (24-10) on Saturday in their first trip to the tournament since 2002. Host six-seed Georgia (17-6) will meet Winthrop (20-4) following the Cats’ dual match.

Clemson will be the Cats’ first opponent in nearly two weeks. The Cats fell to Illinois on April 30 in the semifinals of the Big Ten tournament.

“There won’t be any rust,” Torricelli said. “The break has been really good. This time of year, being mentally fresh is important as anything.”

The Tigers enter the tournament with the No. 27 singles player in the nation, Nathan Thompson. In doubles play, Thompson and Ryan Young make up the No. 50 duo in the country.

For the Cats, senior Tommy Hanus and sophomore Christian Tempke head to Athens as members of the 2005 All-Big Ten team.

Fellow seniors Chuck Perrin and Justin Hoeveler join Hanus as the only players with NCAA tournament experience. The Cats exited after a first-round loss to Indiana State in Champaign, Ill.

Torricelli said the seniors will not play any differently in the tournament, where they’ll play in the final competitions of their college careers.

“The thing you see in the seniors is their careers are coming to an end,” Torricelli said. “The reality sets in, and there is a heightened sense purpose. They don’t want it to be over.”

If the Cats are victorious against Clemson, they will face the winner of the match between Georgia and Winthrop.

Torricelli said while he has focused only on Clemson, it would be a “dream come true” to face Georgia on its homecourt.

“(Georgia) to us (coaches) is the most important place in the country,” Torricelli said. “It’s evolved into the place you want to be.”

The ITA Men’s Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame was founded in 1983 by long-time Georgia coach Dan Magill, said Casey Angle, ITA director of communications. Magill still serves as curator and chairman of the Hall of Fame.

Four former NU players and coaches are members of the Hall of Fame: Paul Bennett, who coached the Cats from 1931 to 1958; Martin Riessen, who was the Big Ten singles champion from 1962 to 1964; Clark Graebner, who was an All-American in 1964; and Clare Riessen, who coached the Cats from 1959 to 1975.

Torricelli said his team is excited about being in Athens — and in the tournament again, after not receiving a bid last year.

“Our goal a year ago was to get into the tournament,” Torricelli said. “I think we’ll compete very well.”

Reach Jason Prager at [email protected].