VIDEO | Season Preview with Michael Cabana

Wingate, N.C.----The Wingate University men's tennis season gets underway this weekend, with the Bulldogs hosting Belmont Abbey Saturday morning at 10 a.m. The Bulldogs are the preseason SAC favorites and are ranked fourth in the ITA preseason top 25 poll. Wingate is coming off a 20-5 season, going 9-1 in league play. The Bulldogs captured both the SAC regular season and tournament titles for the second straight season, while earning an NCAA Tournament bid for the fourth time in six years.

"We're playing confidently," 2019 ITA Southeast Region Coach of the Year Michael Cabana says. "We are trying to have a competitive atmosphere each day at practice to prepare us for the schedule we've got. The goal is to try to expose the guys to everything. We're playing so many top teams, that I want our guys ready. With all the tough nonconference matches we have, we should be prepared for anything once we get to conference play."

Wingate returns an incredible amount of experience and leadership from last year's top-five team. All six of last season's primary singles players return, with the nation's second-ranked doubles duo from last year still intact. "We have so many strong leaders," Cabana says. "It's a tight, veteran group. In addition to Daniel Belsito and Tamir Geva, we have five juniors that have so much experience. They've been battle-tested and have been through a lot of situations that will help us this year. I think that veteran leadership is so important. They're such a tight group that loves to compete."

The Bulldogs will be tested early and often in 2020. Wingate earned a bid to the ITA Indoor Regionals in Oklahoma City at the end of February. In addition to the fourth-ranked Bulldogs, the field includes #1 Barry, #2 Columbus State, #3 West Florida, #7 Flagler, #9 Hawaii Pacific, #15 Midwestern State and a Rollins team that is receiving votes. In March the 'Dogs travel to Georgia to face second-ranked Columbus State along with #11 Lynn and #18 North Georgia.

"The guys are really excited about the schedule," Cabana says. "If you want to be the best, you have to beat the best. Even if you don't win, you have to learn from it, so if you see them again later in the season maybe you learn from it and can beat them."

DOUBLES

Wingate's number one doubles team of Belsito and Josep Canyadell finished the 2019 season ranked second in the nation to earn ITA All-American honors and begin 2020 as the nation's fifth-ranked duo. They went 17-2 at #1 doubles last season, with a 5-1 record in league play. Belsito and Canyadell capped the season by knocking off four consecutive top-25 doubles teams, including the nation's sixth-ranked duo at USC Aiken. "Danny and Pep have proven themselves to be one of the top doubles teams in the country," Cabana says. "They complement each other very well. They understand each other, they really don't even have to talk much, just know what to do and what the other is going to do."

Another strong doubles team that formed in the fall for the Bulldogs is junior Roy Stepanov and newcomer Matteo Gostoli. The duo advanced to the finals of the ITA Regionals in the fall and enter the spring season as the nation's 16th-ranked doubles team. "Roy and Matteo had a great fall," Cabana says. "There's still a lot of development and growth they could have. They could become an even more formative doubles pair."

With a tremendous amount of depth, Wingate has several more possible options to put together in doubles play. "Number three doubles is such a competition," Cabana says. "We have so much depth, people have to earn a spot every day they step on the court. We're trying to figure out right now who will be in the conversation for that three doubles spot. We have several good options."

SINGLES

Belsito returns as Wingate's number one singles player. The 2018 SAC Player of the Year and 2019 SAC Tournament MVP was named the SAC Scholar Athlete and SAC Man of the Year last season. He enters his final season at Wingate as the nation's sixth-ranked singles player. "There's not much more to say about Danny than has been said the last three years," Cabana says. "He's got great talent and is such a competitor. In addition to what he brings on the court, he is such a great leader for the team as well. We are certainly glad to have him back for one more season."

Three players have seen strong falls carry into solid preseason play to be in position for a top-four spot in singles play. Stepanov, Canyadell and Enrico Giacomini have stood out as strong singles players that will be counted on day in and day out.

Canyadell is the nation's 46th-ranked singles player after earning first team All-SAC honors last year. He went 19-4 in singles play with a 10-0 record against SAC opponents. He won 10 matches at #4 singles and nine more matches at #3 singles. "Pep is such a smart player," Cabana says. "He knows how to frustrate his opponents. He keeps his opponents from getting into a rhythm, and you just never feel comfortable when you play against him. If you want to beat Pep, you're going to have to really work."

Stepanov picked up nine victories in his first season at Wingate in 2019, going 5-4 in league play. He won four matches at four singles, three matches at three singles and two more at two singles. A strong fall led to Stepanov checking in as the nation's 50th-ranked singles player. "Roy seems happier and more relaxed this year," Cabana says. "He just seems to be enjoying himself more. He hits a big ball and is playing with great confidence. He had a great fall and that's carried over into the spring. He was never completely healthy last year, but is in much better shape now. He's ready to prove himself."

Giacomini piled up 18 victories last season, finishing the year 18-3 with a 9-0 SAC record. Eight of his victories came at six singles, adding 10 wins at number five singles. He was also an all-conference doubles player as a sophomore. "Enrico's game is just so solid all-around," Cabana says. "When his serve is working, it just trickles down to the rest of his game. His ability to hit a big ball and transition will help him. He's been very impressive this season."

Once again, the depth of the Bulldogs has made the last two spots a tight race. 2019 All-SAC selections Matt Jones and Tolunay Sumer are battling for the five and six spots, along with junior Christian Della Cioppa and the newcomer Gostoli. "Five and six singles right now are an everyday battle," Cabana says. "Matteo, Tolunay, Christian and Matt, all those guys are going to see playing time in the lineup. It's going to be a week-to-week basis, or it could be the day before the match or even in the warmup. They're all going to have opportunities to compete for those spots."

After opening the season at home this Saturday, Wingate travels to Mars Hill next weekend to open league play, before returning home to host Francis Marion and Mount Olive Feb. 12 and 14. The Bulldogs will face six top-20 teams in a two-week span starting Feb. 28 at the Indoor Regionals, which could include as many as four top-five opponents. The SAC Tournament begins with quarterfinal play April 15. The semifinals and finals will be April 17-18 in Rock Hill, S.C.

WINGATE UNIVERSITY
 
A comprehensive, independent and growing university, Wingate serves more than 3,600 students in North Carolina. Founded in 1896, the University offers 37 undergraduate majors as well as graduate and professional programs. Wingate is home to the Cannon College of Arts and Sciences, the Levine College of Health Sciences, the Byrum School of Business, the Thayer School of Education and the School of Sport Sciences. Wingate blends in-class exploration with out-of-class application to deliver an uncommon and life-changing educational experience.
 
In addition to a robust intramural athletics program, Wingate student athletes compete in 22 NCAA Division II sports. The University has won the South Atlantic Conference Echols Athletic Excellence Award for the past 13 years. Wingate is first in the 2000s among NCAA Division II and North Carolina's colleges and universities with 115 CoSIDA Academic All-America® selections. Wingate is tops among all SAC schools with 124 lifetime Academic All-America® honorees. For more information on WU athletics, go to www.wingatebulldogs.com. Current news and videos can be found at www.wingate.edu.