Freshman Williams pushes Slovenia's Gregorc to brink

By Dave Link
Published Monday, November 9, 2009

Knoxville's Rhyne Williams showed Monday night why he fits right in with the University of Tennessee's tennis team.

Williams, a true freshman, flirted with an upset before losing to Slovenia's Luka Gregorc 2-6, 7-6 (5), 6-2 in the first round of the $50,000 Knoxville Challenger at UT's Goodfriend Tennis Center.

Gregorc, ranked No. 257 in the world, beat Williams 7-6, 6-3 in last year's first round on his way to the finals of the 2008 Knoxville Challenger.

Gregorc, 25, won the qualifier at Wimbledon last summer before losing to No. 15-seeded Tommy Robredo in four sets.

Williams said Gregorc's pro experience was a factor.

"It makes a difference because I think he was a little more mentally stronger on the big points," Williams said. "He just knew how to play.

"I would think that (experience) definitely had something to do with it. He's played in Wimbledon this year so he's a damn good player."

Williams had a 3-0 lead in the second set and served for the match at 5-4.

"I just knew I had to keep fighting for everything," Gregorc said. "The second set luckily things turned my way even though I was down every possible way I could be.

"After that I think he got a little down on himself and I saw that so I took it up a level and started playing well."

Williams, ranked among the top 10 juniors in the world, reached the semifinals of the ITA National Indoors doubles last weekend playing with UT teammate Boris Conkic.

"I just got back at midnight (Sunday) and wrote a paper till 3 in the morning, so I was on short rest," Williams said. "We've been travelling a lot. Maybe that had something to do with it. To compliment (Gregorc), he definitely stepped up his game. He kind of cut down on loose errors and just played better."

Williams joins a UT team that reached the NCAA Round of 16 last spring before losing to Texas. The Vols had no seniors on that team.

There is a good chance Williams will be joined by Tennys Sandgren on the Vols' roster in January.

Sandgren's brother, Davey, plays for the Vols. The Sandgrens are from Gallatin.

"I really think he's deciding between going pro and hopefully joining me in college in the spring," Davey Sandgren said. "I can only hope he comes here."

Tennys Sandgren, 18, has been ranked among the world's top 10 juniors.

"I'm most likely going to start (UT) in January," Tennys Sandgren said Monday from Niceville, Fla., where he is playing a $10,000 Futures tournament.

"I mean, I'm playing five professional tournaments the next five weeks," he said. "If I do really well I'll reconsider it, but for now I'm leaning toward going to UT in January."

Williams is doing his best to recruit Sandgren.

"I try to send him an e-mail every once in a while and let him know that we'd like for him to come here," Williams said.

Davey Sandgren and J.P. Smith, UT's No. 1 doubles team, beat Kevin Kim and Prakash Amritraj 6-2, 6-3 in first-round doubles.

Dave Link is a freelance contributor.