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Southern Hospitality at the Blue Gray Collegiate Tennis Classic
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Photos by Marcia Frost
In 1949, Jack Bushman decided he wanted to a tennis tournament linked with the famous Blue Gray Football Classic. New Orleans had done this by adding a junior tennis event to the Sugar Bowl, but Montgomery's Bushman wanted a men's college event. Sixty years later, the Blue Gray Collegiate Tennis Classic is still shining with top tennis and Southern hospitality.
The Blue Gray event is the second oldest collegiate tennis tournament in the country (the first is the NCAAs, beginning in 1952). It features 16 teams from around the country. The entire city of Montgomery comes together for the Blue Gray, providing housing for every player.
One of the things that sets this event apart from the others is that the Blue Gray Classic has always been about sportsmanship more than ranking. Most of the teams are consistently invited back year after year (Notre Dame's Bob Bayliss has brought 18 teams there). The teams ranged from the fourth-ranked Tennesee to the unranked Hawaii, who were making their first appearance. Much like the NCAAs, there are 16 teams with matches played until a team achieves four points, but the Blue Gray allows for consolation playoffs so everyone is around playing for at least three days.
The night before play begins, players and coaches are treated to a steak banquet, donated by the Wilson family, who also own the Wynn Lakes Country Club that holds the dinner. In addition to the great food, it is the time the Hall of Fame receives its annual inductee. This year it was Wade Herron (right) who played in the very first event for Tulane, who joined the likes of James Blake, Mahesh Bhupathi, Peter Fleming and Donald Dell -- all of whom played this tournament -- as a Hall of Famer. Also honored was Dr. Terry Treadwell, a former player who ran this event for 10 years. He was given the Jim Wilson Giving With Grace Award.
For the tournament's 60th anniversary, they had perfect weather and record-breaking crowds. The climax of the Blue Gray Classic was a thrilling final between Tennessee and Alabama. It was exciting for the spectators to have a home state team in the final and the Crimson Tide were certainly the favorites. But the Tennessee host families (each team had at least four host families) were there to support the Volunteers.
Tennessee took a tight doubles point after the teams split the first two matches. The Crimson Tide came back quickly to take the first two points with Dan Buikema's defeat of Matt Brewer and Michael Jung's win over Christopher Williams. Alabama's 2-1 lead wouldn't last, though. The Volunteers had the next two with wins -- one from JP Smith at No. 1 singles and Boris Conkic at two. Everyone then focused on the fifth position where, at 5-4, it looked like Billy Mertz might pull it to a third set and keep Alabama in it. It wasn't to happen as Christian Hansen took the set and a 4-2 championship for Tennessee.
The other schools competing in this year's Blue Gray Classic and enjoying the excitement of Montgomery as it celebrated college tennis were Boise State, Fresno State, Middle Tennessee State, Mississippi State, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Penn State, Texas Tech, Virginia Commonwealth, William & Mary, Wisconsin and Auburn. And they all agreed with the words echoed by Alabama Coach Billy Pate, who has been to the event since he started coming as a player for Mississippi State in '87, "The Blue Gray hospitality is second to none. This tournament has always gone out of its way and that's what makes it so unique. There's really nothing else like it."
FINALS
Tennesee 4, Alabama 2
JP Smith (T) defeated Saketh Myneni (A), 6-3,7-5
Boris Conkic (T) defeated Mathieu Thibaudeau (A), 6-3,6-4
Matteo Fago (T) vs. Michael Thompson (A), 3-3 Did Not Finish
Dan Buikema (A) defeated Matt Brewer (T), 6-2,6-2
Christian Hansen (T) defeated Billy Mertz (A), 6-3,6-4
Michael Jung (A) defeated Christopher Williams (T), 6-1,6-1
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