Dawg Freshman Wayne Montgomery wins Southern Intercollegiate Tennis Championships

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Georgia freshman Wayne Montgomery defeated Oklahoma’s Alex Ghilea, 6-1, 3-6, 6-2, to win the Southern Intercollegiate Championships Division I singles title Monday morning at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex.  Montgomery employed a ferocious comeback to defeat the third ranked collegiate player in America, Oklahoma’s Axel Alvarez Llamas, 1-6, 6-0, 6-3, in the semi-finals.

Montgomery spoke to Georgiadogs.com.

"I trained really hard back in the summer with my teammates, and I was pretty confident entering the tournament and managed to pull it out. Yesterday was a big win. I gained a lot of confidence from that match coming into today. This wasn’t an individual thing; it was a team effort and I want to thank the coaches and supporters of Georgia and give glory to God."

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“Wayne was very impressive in each match throughout the tournament,” said head coach Manuel Diaz told Georgiadogs.com. “It showed what these next four years are going to be like. He’s a tremendous player and showed a lot of resolve and the willingness to battle through the tough moments. He had some tough challenges and handled them well, and I’m really impressed with his ability to concentrate and focus and stay with the game plan.”

The Johannesburg, South Africa, native has put himself on the collgeiate tennis radar this summer, also claiming a win over 19 ranked 2014 Vandy All-American Gonzalez Austin to win the Tennessee Valley Open Championships in June 2014.

Montgomery’s success is not a surprise as he achieved an 18 and under number 7 world rank in 2013. Put a star by Montgomery’s name in the media guide. He is likely to turn the Georgia roster upside down and set up the Dawgs for another deep post- season run.