Georgia senior – and team No. 1 – Nate Schnugg has received word from doctors that he tore the meniscus in his right knee Saturday in his round of 16 match of the Wilson/ITA Southeast Regionals at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex.

Leading Georgia Tech’s Miguel Muguruza 5-2, Schnugg went down with a pain in his knee and was forced to retire from the match.

“I just planted going for a volley, and rotated on it. I felt it pop like it normally did, and then it popped out again, which it had never done before,” Schnugg said. “Then it just never popped back in. I just sat down, and I couldn’t straighten my leg. I just knew something was wrong.”

Schnugg’s doctors will have a couple options when they go in to look at his knee. Schnugg says they gave him the best-case-scenario when it comes down to surgery and when he can be back on the court.

“When I went to the doctor [Monday], they told me if they can stitch it back down to my leg, then it’s going to be a couple months,” Schnugg said. “If they just have to cut the cartilage. It’s kind of a lose-lose because if they have to cut the cartilage out then it’s not good for my knee.”

Whichever is chosen, it will be hard on his teammates to lose its best player for any amount of time, especially for fellow senior Jamie Hunt, Schnugg’s doubles partner.

“It’s heartbreaking. When I saw it happen, my heart just dropped; I can’t even imagine competing against people without him by my side,” Hunt said. “We’ve been doubles partners for so long, I really can’t even imagine doing it without him now, especially senior year.”

No matter what direction the doctors choose to go, Schnugg says that he will do what it takes to be back for his team in the spring.

“No matter what, I know that I’m going to be back for the season. I know that I’m going to take care of my body, and I’m going to do everything I can to get back for NCAAs,” he said. “This is my senior year, and it’s the most important thing in the world for me.”

Garrapiz falls in finals of Southeast Regionals

Georgia junior Javier Garrapiz lost a heartbreaker in the finals of the Southeast Regional tournament 6-3, 1-6, 7-5, Monday morning to Florida State’s Clint Bowles.

Garrapiz won the second set easily and seemed in prime position to take the championship, leading 4-2 in the third set, and with two break points in hand. But Bowles fought off the break, holding serve and winning the next two games to take a 5-4 lead.

Garrapiz held serve to make it 5-5, but lost the next two games and ultimately the match. Garrapiz was attempting to defend the title for Georgia, held by Schnugg from last season.