Tuesday, 5/20/97 Bulldogs, Cardinal set for showdown M. TENNIS:
Stanford to defend title against underdog Georgia
By Mark Shapiro Daily Bruin Staff The stage is set for the NCAA
Men’s Tennis Championship, and it will be third-seeded Stanford
University versus fourth seeded University of Georgia squaring off
in the main event. The Cardinal will be going after their third
consecutive championship while the Bulldogs will be making their
first trip to the finals since 1993 and are searching for their
first title in 10 years. The final match will begin at 6 p.m. at
the Los Angeles Tennis Center. The Cardinal (25-2) forged their way
into the finals by downing Harvard and Texas in rapid succession,
and then toppling second seeded University of Mississippi 4-2 in
the semifinals. The Bulldogs (23-3) bit into the first two rounds,
beating Fresno State and Mississippi in the first two rounds, and
then upsetting number one seed UCLA by a 4-2 count in the second
semifinal. Not only does Georgia have to contend with championship
jitters, which they have not experienced in four years, but because
their match ended late Monday night, they have to ready themselves
for a championship showdown less than 24 hours after. With less
time to make ready for battle than the Cardinal, the watchword for
the Bulldogs is preparation. "We just have to be composed,’ Georgia
head coach Manuel Diaz said. "My main concern is getting these guys
enough rest. Hopefully, physically we can compete at a level
similar to the one we competed at (in the semifinals). If we can do
that, we can make a match of it." While the physical concerns
linger for the Georgia braintrust, concerns about the team’s
emotional condition are taking a backseat. "Emotionally, when
you’re in the finals playing for a national title, if you can’t get
up, you’re dead," Diaz said. "Our guys will be emotionally ready to
play. They showed a lot of maturity as a team." Though the two
teams did not meet during the season, they are well familiar with
one another, having watched each other slug it out over the past
three days. The Cardinals are led by sophomore Ryan Wolters, who
will hold down the number one position, and freshman Bob Bryan,
who, since moving into the number two slot, has lost only one match
and captured the Pac-10 individual championship. "(Stanford) is a
great team," Diaz said. "They’re young but they’re very talented.
They’ve had great success because they have great players." The
Cardinal, who are going after their third consecutive championship,
are a bit more rested and prepared for this final hurdle. "We’re
ready to play and I have a lot of confidence in my team," Stanford
head coach Dick Gould said. "We may not be good enough but we’ll
certainly be out there giving it all we have." JUSTIN WARREN/Daily
Bruin Georgia’s Rafael Jordan (l.) and Steven Baldas after their
victory.