Jan. 16, 2011
ATLANTA – The No. 23 Georgia Tech men’s tennis team earned a decisive victory over No. 60 USC Upstate for their first win of the 2011 season Saturday. The Jackets were undefeated on the day winning all three doubles and each of their singles matches for the 7-0 victory.
“I get excited when we do the fundamentals very well and I felt like that is what we did today,” said Head Coach Kenny Thorne. “We started off well in doubles and in all three doubles matches the first serve percentages were high. We were out there working together as teams and that is going to pay off as the season goes along.”
The Jackets started the day off by easily earning the doubles point from the Spartans by winning all three doubles matches and giving up only four set points. The third doubles duo of Guillermo Gomez and Dean O’Brien finished first routing their USC-U opponents by a score of 8-0. No. 1 doubles Juan Spir and Kevin King earned the Jackets’ second victory of the day with an 8-2 win and with that captured the doubles point. Ryan Smith and Eliot Potvin added another 8-2 victory on for good measure as Tech went into the singles part of the day undefeated.
“The execution from doubles carried over into the singles matches,” continued Thorne. “I mentioned that to the team today and I think they understand what our goals are for the season, and we have some big ones, and that it is going to be done by getting excited about the basics.”
Gomez collected Tech’s second point of the day as he won in straight-sets over USC-U’s Ramiro Blanco 6-0, 6-2, in the No. 1 singles match faltering just slightly towards the end. Potvin was the next Jacket to finish when he notched Tech’s third point of the day, in No. 3 singles with a 6-2, 6-0 victory over Gonzalo Blanco, Ramiro’s younger brother.
The victory over the Spartans was captured when Spir finished out his No. 2 singles match with a hard fought 6-1, 6-4 win over Matias Di Pasquale for the fourth point of the day.
King easily took down his opponent of Giancula Paino in the No. 5 singles dropping just one game in the match for a 6-1, 6-0 victory. His win was followed by No. 6 singles Dusan Miljevic who ended his day with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Ignacio Velez for the Jackets sixth point on the day.
The final match of the day between No. 4 singles Magin Ortiga and Marco Linconir was close, but Ortiga prevailed for the Jackets 6-4, 6-1 as Tech went on to win their first match of the 2011 season 7-0.
The Jackets will return to action on the road when they take on No. 56 South Carolina next Sunday, January 23 at 1 p.m.
Tennis Match Results
USC Upstate vs Georgia Tech
Jan 16, 2011 at Atlanta, Ga.
#23 Georgia Tech 7, #60 USC Upstate 0
Singles competition:
1. #12 Guillermo Gomez (GT) def. Ramiro Blanco (USCU) 6-0, 6-2
2. #48 Juan Spir (GT) def. Matias Di Pasquale (USCU) 6-1, 6-4
3. Eliot Potvin (GT) def. Gonzalo Blanco (USCU) 6-2, 6-0
4. Magin Ortiga (GT) def. Marco Linconir (USCU) 6-4, 6-1
5. Kevin King (GT) def. Giancula Paino (USCU) 6-1, 6-0
6. #93 Dusan Miljevic (GT) def. Ignacio Velez (USCU) 6-1, 6-1
Doubles competition:
1. #8 Juan Spir/Kevin King (GT) def. Ramiro Blanco/Matias Di Pasquale (USCU) 8-2
2. Ryan Smith/Eliot Potvin (GT) def. Marco Linconir/Gonzalo Blanco (USCU) 8-2
3. Guillermo Gomez/Dean O’Brien (GT) def. Giancula Paino/Andres Sanchez (USCU) 8-0
Match Notes:
USC Upstate 0-1; National ranking #60
Georgia Tech 1-0; National ranking #23
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (1,3,2,5,6,4)
Match played indoors
T-3:30 A-76
