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ITA National Team Indoors Opens Friday

Feb 17, 2022

THIS WEEK IN HUSKY MEN'S TENNIS

ITA NATIONAL TEAM INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
Friday, Feb. 18 - Monday, Feb. 21
Nordstrom Tennis Center and Seattle Tennis Club

Tournament Home Page (Bracket, Live Score Links, Live Video Links)

Admission: Tickets are $10 per day at the Nordstrom Tennis Center or $25 for the full tournament. Students and children are free.

First Round
Friday, Feb. 18

(16) Washington vs. (1) Ohio State, 6:30 p.m., Nordstrom
Live Scores | Live Video

SEATTLE – For the first time since the 2018 season, Washington is set to host the ITA Men's National Team Indoor Championships. Fifteen teams join the host Huskies for the tournament that ranks second only to the NCAA Championships in terms of prestige. From this Friday, Feb. 18, through the championship match on Monday, Feb. 21, a total of twenty-five matches will go down at the Nordstrom Tennis Center and the Seattle Tennis Club.

Washington, undefeated at 8-0, will get its first top-25 opponent of the season in the first round on Friday, taking on the tourney's top-seed and No. 1-ranked team in the latest ITA poll, Ohio State. The match is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. though three matches will take place at the Nordstrom prior to UW-OSU, so fans can check the UW Twitter account for any updates to start times.

UW Tourney History: This is the ninth time that Washington has served as host of the ITA National Team Indoor Championships. The first time came in 1999 and the most recent was back in 2018. The Huskies have won at least one match seven of the eight times they've hosted, and three times they started the tournament with a significant upset. In 1999, UW's first year hosting, the Huskies opened with an upset of third-ranked Mississippi State. Two years later, UW upset No. 4 Georgia and later beat No. 8 Florida to earn a tie for fifth-place. In 2006, Washington worked its home court magic once again, victimizing sixth-ranked Virginia. The Huskies are 9-15 in final site dual matches at National Team Indoors
 
Format: The tournament runs from Friday through Monday, at two locations: the Nordstrom Tennis Center and the Seattle Tennis Club. Friday through Sunday, there will be four matches per day at each site, with matches starting at both sites on all three days at 9 a.m., 12 noon, 3:30 p.m., and 6:30 p.m.
 
The ITA National Team Indoor Championship is a single-elimination event, but all participating teams are guaranteed three matches. Consolation play will conclude on Sunday, and the championship match will take place on Monday, Feb. 21, at 12 p.m.

The field had to earn its way to Seattle, as sixty teams were initially chosed to compete in the ITA Kickoff Weekend, held at fifteen sites around the country. The winner of each single-elimination four-team pod earned its ticket to Seattle.

Rankings: Every one of the top-15 teams in the current ITA national coaches poll will be in action in Seattle. After Ohio State, the rest of the top four seeds are No. 2 Baylor (ranked third nationally), No. 3 Tennessee (ranked second nationally), and No. 4 Florida (ranked fifth nationally).

Individually, the current top-six singles players in the ITA rankings will be in action this week, including Washington's own Clement Chidekh, ranked No. 2 nationally. Additionally, 14 of the top-20 ranked singles players, and 25 of the top-40, are on hand this weekend. Seven of the top-10 doubles teams are also from teams here in Seattle.