Georgia Bulldogs star Emil Reinberg got the full red-carpet treatment before the match Tuesday night.
It was College Night at the BB&T Atlanta Open — a parade of cheerleaders escorted Reinberg to the court; the band played the UGA fight song; Mary Beth Smart, the wife of football coach Kirby Smart, initiated the opening coin toss. The Hairy Dawg costumed mascot even tagged along.
Then the match began, and Mikhail Youhzny took Reinberg to school.
Youhzny controlled the tempo, effortlessly mixing in a wide array of shots, breezing past the honoree in straight sets, 6-2, 6-0.
For Reinberg, the match represented a learning experience in more ways than one.
“I didn’t get a single free point,” he said after the match. “I think that’s the biggest thing with pro tennis. You have to work for every point.”
Reinberg was working to stay afloat in the first set, holding serve in his first opportunity to do so, offering the insinuation that the match would remain competitive.
“After the first set, I thought I could hang in there, and I think it all comes down to a couple points that are important,” Reinberg said. “You know, just no free points.”
Those crucial points swung decidedly toward Youhzny, who rarely relented points on his own serve, and pushed Reinberg to the brink during his. Reinberg won only one game after that first service, and didn’t break Youhzny’s service during the match.
After dropping the first game in the second set, Reinberg and Youhzny played the longest game of the match — one that went to deuce multiple times. Ultimately, it was Youhzny who outlasted the 21-year-old Atlanta native. From there, the Russian cruised.
Reinberg was a key cog in leading Georgia to SEC titles the past two seasons, including an honor as the tournament’s MVP in 2017. Each year, the Atlanta Open offers a wild-card spot to a local college student; this year Reinberg was the choice.
The opportunity alone is an honor, a recognition of his talent — a victory would have merely been icing on the cake. “This is what I’ve wanted to do for so long,” Reinberg said June 12 after he was selected to the tournament. “I’ve been watching this tournament for quite a while, so coming back here every July — I’m so excited.”
Before the match, Reinberg got to live that opportunity. He got a personal escort to the court from band members and cheerleaders who led the parade. He got to spend time with Mary Beth Smart, stating in simple terms — “I was in a car with Mrs. Smart, so that was kind of cool.” In many ways, the match itself was only a sliver of the festivities.
After the match, Reinberg, humbled but not dejected, knew where he needed to grow.
“Definitely my fitness,” he said, still wiping away sweat from his forehead. “(Youhzny is) getting to the point of the end of his career, and he’s still fitter than me. I think just working on my fitness, working on my first-serve percentage, and just focusing on not giving away free points.
Class was in session, after all. Reinberg played the part of the student. Youhzny, 36, the professor.
“I think I can take a lot from this match,” he said, “and only keep going forward from here.”
