No. 22 Wake Forest to Host No. 5 Oklahoma
The Demon Deacons will take on the No. 5 Sooners on Friday at 4 p.m.
Feb. 28, 2013
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By Alex Botoman, Wake Forest Athletic Communications (@WakeTennis)
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Making its season debut in the ITA top 25 this week, the Wake Forest men's tennis team faces an immediate test, hosting No. 5 Oklahoma on Friday at 4 p.m. at the Wake Forest Tennis Complex.
The Demon Deacons (9-2) will then wrap up play for the week on Sunday when they host William & Mary (11 a.m.) and Longwood (6 p.m.) in a doubleheader.
Last Time Out...
The Demon Deacons are playing their first match since Feb. 10 after taking a three-week hiatus to prepare for the second half of the season.
In its most recent matches, Wake Forest dropped a 4-3 heartbreaker to now-No. 8 Tennessee before coming back later that evening to down Elon 6-1.
Deacs Are the Nation's Most Improved Team
Wake Forest came in at No. 22 in this week's ITA Rankings, reentering the top 25 for the first time since February of 2011.
By ranking, the Demon Deacons are the most improved team in the country from last season, moving up 47 spots from their 2012 season-end ranking of No. 69. They join No. 18 Clemson (46 spots) and No. 24 Cornell (46 spots) as the only teams in the country to have improved moved up more than 40 spots in the rankings from last season.
Wake Forest returned five of its six starters from last year's team and added the nation's eighth-ranked recruiting class, which includes current lineup regulars Jon Ho and Sam Bloom.
Rankings Roundup
In addition to Wake Forest's No. 22 spot in the ITA Team Rankings, the Demon Deacons are well-represented in the individual rankings as well.
Amogh Prabhakar continued his meteoric rise through the singles rankings, coming in at No. 37 this week. The senior captain holds a 21-6 singles record, including a 9-1 mark in dual matches while playing primarily at the No. 2 position. Six of his 21 victories have come against players who are currently ranked nationally.
Fellow senior David Hopkins remained in the singles rankings at No. 123. Hopkins has gone 5-5 at No. 1 singles for the Demon Deacons.
Hopkins and Prabhakar are ranked No. 55 nationally in doubles, holding a 19-7 record, including 8-3 at No. 1 doubles this spring.
Wake Forest Goes Through Navy SEAL Training
The Demon Deacons used their three weeks off from competition to prepare themselves for the second half of the season, going through Navy SEAL training to improve their fitness level.
An instructor led the team through an intense week of conditioning sessions that were modeled after the training that Navy SEALs undergo, which are designed to improve physical and mental strength as well as team cohesion. You can see a photo gallery of the workouts here
Record Watch
With singles wins against Tennessee and Elon in Wake Forest's most recent matches, Danny Kreyman tied current assistant coach Brett Ross (played at Wake Forest from 2002-06) for sixth place in the Wake Forest record books with 97 career singles victories. Kreyman is two wins away from equaling Trent Brandon (2000-03) for fifth place.
David Hopkins has won 85 doubles matches in his career, ranking him sixth in Wake Forest history. Hopkins recently moved past Demon Deacon legend Todd Paul, who won 84 matches in his time at Wake Forest. The senior is three wins away from tying Raul Munoz (1998-01) and Ross (2002-06) who each won 88 doubles matches for the Deacons.
Scouting the Opposition
Oklahoma rolls into town holding its highest-ever spot in the ITA rankings at No. 5. The Sooners are 8-2, with seven of their wins coming against ranked opponents, including four against top 25 foes.
No. 39 Costin Paval has held down the top of the lineup for the Sooners, going 7-0, including 6-0 at the No. 1 position. No. 69 Guillermo Alcorta is also ranked for Oklahoma, as are two doubles teams: No. 42 Axel Alvarez Llamas/Alcorta and Paval/Dane Webb. The Sooners are coached by John Roddick, the brother of former world No. 1, Andy Roddick.
William and Mary sits at 5-5, defeating George Mason 5-2 in its CAA opener in its most recent match. Longwood is 3-3, beating Morgan State in its most recent outing.
