NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Off to an 8-1 start this spring, the Yale women's tennis team debuted in the ITA national rankings at No. 26 this week. It is the highest the Bulldogs have been ranked since 2013. This weekend at the prestigious Blue Gray National Tennis Classic in Alabama, Yale will get to test itself against other ranked opponents.
In its first match, the Bulldogs face Wake Forest on Friday at 12:30 p.m. The Demon Deacons are ranked No. 59. Yale then plays either Texas Tech, ranked No. 22, or Furman. The doubles portion of the Bulldogs' second match will be played later Friday with the singles matches held first thing on Saturday. The third and final match of the tournament will be later Saturday.
The rest of the field is No. 36 Alabama, No. 43 Arizona, No. 24 Illinois and Tulsa.
For over 70 years, some of the finest tennis players in the world have come to Montgomery in early spring to do battle. How did Montgomery come to host one of the most prestigious tournaments in the country? The answer lies in Montgomery's "Mr. Tennis"– Jack Bushman.
In 1949, Mr. Bushman, a Montgomery resident, was the President of the Southern Lawn Tennis Association. He wanted to tie-in a world class tennis tournament to the prestigious Blue Gray football classic. He envisioned starting an event similar to the world-renowned Sugar Bowl junior tennis tournament that is played in conjunction with the Sugar Bowl football game. However, he decided the tournament should feature top college players rather than juniors.
For the first 30 years, the Blue Gray tournament was an individual contest rather than the present-day team competition.
