For the first time in over two months, the Oregon men’s tennis team will hit the court for meaningful action.
The Ducks begins their spring season with a doubleheader at the Student Tennis Center on Sunday, Jan. 22.
Oregon will open its season on Sunday against Montana State at 10 a.m. The Bobcats struggled mightily last season, posting a 6-13 record and going winless outside Big Sky conference play. Montana State will play a pair of matches against Seattle University on Friday and Saturday before traveling to Eugene.
Following their morning match against Montana State, the Ducks will have a quick turnaround before facing off against Utah State at 3 p.m. First-year head coach James Wilson has already had a chance to see his team in action. The Aggies beat UC Irvine 6-1 on Jan. 14 before dropping a 6-1 contest to San Diego on Jan. 15.
While it will be Oregon’s second match of the day, Utah State might be a bit tired as well – the team is in Seattle on Friday and Saturday to compete against Washington and Gonzaga.
The fall season — which consists entirely of tournament action — showed many positive signs.
Head coach Nils Schyllander, who is entering his ninth season as Oregon’s head coach, should feel confident about his doubles teams. The pair of Simon Stevens and Jayson Amos reached the finals of the USTA Northwest Regional Championships in October, and are currently ranked No. 30 in the country.
Amos looks to continue his doubles success from last season. He went an impressive 18-3 with Armando Soemarno.
However, it doesn’t stop at Amos and Stevens in doubles. The pair of Cormac Clissold and Thomas Laurent went 5-1 in tournament action over the fall, capping off play with a doubles championship win the Duck Invitational on Nov. 13. The fall season isn’t any fluke, either – the duo went 15-1 playing together last season, and will be relied on to continue that success this upcoming season.
Laurent experienced substantial success in singles action as well, posting a 10-2 mark. The sophomore’s impressive fall season moved him to No. 33 in the ITA Rankings, all the way up from his previous spot at No. 105. Amos and Stevens, a senior and junior respectively, will be relied on to carry the singles load alongside Laurent.
Oregon hopes to break through this season after finishing fifth in the Pac-12 each of the past two years. The Ducks have gone 30-7 over the past three seasons when playing in Eugene.