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UA cools Trinity, meets TennesseeBy GRANT HALL Timet Sports EditorTennessee beat Northeast Louisiana 7-2 Friday and Arkansas downed Trinity 7-2 Friday night, setting up a showdown between Tennessee and Arkansas tonight at 7 in the 10th annual Wal-Mart Collegiate Tennis Classic.“Tennessee will be a big match, said Hog captain Tim Siegel. They’re well-coached, by Mike DePalmer. We've gotta jump on top of’em.”Word has it that DePalmer. who once nearly became a UA assistant coach, will leave Tennessee in three weeks to rejoin Nick Bollettierri, who has bought the tennis operation of the late Harry Hopman in Florida.But for now, DePalmer is the coach of 14th-ranked Tennessee, and tonight's match against lOth-ranked Arkansas at the UA Indoor Track and Tennis Center should be spirited.Several years ago, then-Arkansas coach Tom Pucci thought he had attracted DePalmer and nis son, Mike DePalmer Jr., to the UA. Instead, they went to UT. Pucci at first refuse*! to release DePalmer Jr. from his scholarship agreement, but later relented at the behest of UA athletic director Frank Broyles. Young DePalmer turned pro after two years at Tennessee.All that is forgotten now, as second-year Hogs coach Ron Hightower seeks to mend fences and take a positive approach to everything.For example, Friday night when Arkansas’ Richard Schmidt got several seemingly outrageous line calls in his No. 2 singles match against Dexter MacBride and Schmidt finally objected verbally, Hightower advised Schmidt calmly, “Don’t do it. It’s not worth it.”Arkansas was leading 4-1 in the team competition at time. MacBride went on to beat Schmidt 3-6, 7-6, 6-4, but not without hoots and catcalls from the crowd.The Hogs went on to easy wins at Nos 2 ana 3 doubles for a 6-2 lead, so Trinity defaulted the No. 1 doubles match so that the players could get some sleep before their 11 a.m. match today against NE Louisiana.A feature match tonight will pit Arkansas freshman Joey Blake against Tennessee soph Byron Talbot of Johannesburg, South Africa at No 3 singles. “1 played him at Los Angeles and won 7-5 in the third set,” Blake recalled. “He has a big serve and a good return of serve.Blake, recent winner of the Rolex National Indoor at Houston, had also met Friday night's opponent, Chris Greer of Trinity, before Greer recalled, “He beat me 7-6, 7-6 in the national 18-and-unders at Kalamazoo, Mich., a few years ago.”This time Blake beat Greer 6-0,6-1.“Joey has improved his forehand tremendously,” Greer said. “His serve-and-volley is much better. I’m surprised he’s playing at No. 3, actually.”But Arkansas’ Bobby Blair validated his No. 1 position Friday with a solid 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 win over Trinity's Fanie Reinach of Ferndale, South Africa (with whose family Blake once stayed in South Africa).Blake’s father, Harry Blake, made the 5 4-hour drive from Lawton, Okla., where he is director of bands for Cameron University, and arrived for the second set of his son’s singles match. It was the first match ne’d seen Joey play since August.“Ron has done a splendid job on Joey’s forehand,” Harry noticed. That’s one reason Joey came here — there’s not a better college coach in the country. Ron has a good pair of eyes and a lot of experience. He sees flaws in other people. So he can help a lot of good players.”The Blakes just moved last fall from Las Vegas. Nev., where Harry was director of bands for UNLV.“Five years there was enough, s*idHarrv “Vegas was a rat race. Theyare nbt normal people. Asked if his son was surprised to have won the Rolex title, Mr Blake said, “He just said he played one match at a lime He called me every night He got a big boost from winning the first match. Joey is so quick, that the other guy better puf hi»* serve in the right spot. Ron has pyenhim the confidence to use the toolsBlake hits a two-handed backhandbut a one-handed forehand. Asked if Joey had ever tried a double-handed forehand, Harry said. Only when he was about nine He was always such a little kid. He’s really a lefty. rThe righty playing Joey walked up just then and confirmed this startling information.Asked about the Rolex tourney.-Joey said, I was practicing reqj. well the week before, but you just try to play match by match. I kept think;-ing I could do it. * . »One of Blake’s abilities is movingquickly to the net even on a half; volley. “I learned from watching,-he said. “McEnroe does it. It’s a big advantage if you can do it really well.”At the end of his match, Blake acknowledged the crowd support by lifting his index finger.But it wasn’t as if 19th-ranked Trinity, based in San Antonio, was unused to crowds We usually get about 1,000 people,” said Greer. “We re the only Division I sport Mthe school.” _ -Arkansas’ Siegel beat Brent Parker 6-1, 6-4 at No. 4 singles, and Simon Robinson of the Hogs beatFrankGrannis6-l,6-3atNo.6. --At No. 5 singles. Brad Williams of Australia took his second loss of the season, falling to Trinity’s Grason Underwood (a senior, like MacBride) 6-4,4-6,7-6.Underwood won the deciding tiebreaker 7-5, as Williams double-faulted four times out of six serves. Williams won two points in the. tiebreaker with overhead smashes that hit the line, and he fought off two match points from 3-6. But, serving at 5-6, his second serve hit the tape and spun wildly out of court.Schmidt also fought off two matqh. points before losing to MacBride ip what was, despite the controversy, the best match of the night. The two players had chatted like old friends for 15 minutes before the match — which perhaps explains why Schmidt didn't object to any line calls for th$ longest.“MacBride has been around a long time,” said Siegel. “Rich should have won anyway. But maybe it witybe good for mm to take a loss. ”Schmidt's back bothered him during the match, so he was no doubt happy to see Reinach and MacBride default at No. 1 doubles. Schmidt teams with Siegel at No. 1 doubles for Arkansas.At No. 2 doubles, Blake and Williams held off Greer and Underwood 6-2, 6-4. after losing a 3-0 lead in the second set. At No. 3 doubles, Arkansas' Blair and Danny Granot ripped through Harvey Slater and Chad Marsh, 6-1,6-2. -Baseball still onUniversity of Arkansas baseball coach said Friday afternoon thattoday's 1 p.m. doubleheader against North Texas State was still on.“If I can’t get the field dry Saturday morning, we may go with one game at 2 p.m. or even 3 p.m.,” DeBriyn said. “If we only play one Saturday, we'U play a doubleheader Sunday. But North Texas State is on the way now and will work out inside tonight (Friday) ”if the teams get a doubleheader in today, they’ll play a single game Sunday at 2 p.m.
Newspaper Details
Fayetteville Northwest Arkansas Times
Fayetteville, Arkansas, US
Sat, Feb 15, 1986
Page 8
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AR, USA 03 Dec 2018
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