March 28, 2010
Raleigh, N.C. – Kevin King came from behind to win the clinching match, and 29th-ranked Georgia Tech captured five of the sixth singles matches, four of them in three sets, to get past No. 46 NC State Sunday afternoon.
The Yellow Jackets (12-3, 3-1 ACC), who completed a weekend sweep of road matches in the Atlantic Coast Conference, won their fourth straight match and third straight in the ACC. The Wolfpack fell to 13-6 overall, 1-3 in the ACC.
“We simply survived an extremely windy day today,” said head coach Kenny Thorne. “We dealt with the wind a little better than our opponent, and we competed very well. It wasn’t great tennis, but it was great competitiveness. Everyone on the team stepped up this weekend and contributed.”
King not only won the clinching match, but teamed up with freshman Juan Spir to take an 8-3 win at No. 1 doubles as Tech took a 1-0 lead early by winning the doubles point. Then Tech went on to win the match despite a loss by its All-American, Guillermo Gomez, at No. 1 singles.
Eliot Potvin extended Tech’s lead to 2-0 with a straight-set win over Dave Thomson, 6-2, 6-4, at No. 3 singles. After Gomez fell to No. 94 Jaime Pulgar, 6-4, 6-4, at No. 1, Spir and King won their matches to put the `Pack away.
Spir defeated Fernando Banos at No. 6, 7-5, 7-6 (8-6) to extend the Tech lead to 3-1. King, a sophomore from Peachtree City, Ga., lost the first set, 6-4, but rallied to take the next two sets, 6-1, 6-3, and clinch the match for the Jackets.
Tech went on to win at No. 4 and 5 singles as well, with Miguel Muguruza outlasting Rob Lowe, 3-6, 7-6 (8-4), 6-4, and Magin Ortiga defeating Rafael Paez, 6-7 (8-4), 6-3, 1-0 (11-9).
“I have to thank the people who came up to see our matches this weekend,” said Thorne, “because it absolutely helped get us some good road wins. I had an umpire ask me yesterdayif we were in Winston-Salem or Atlanta because the fans were so loud for us.”
Thorne’s team returns home for a busy week in which the Yellow Jackets host Clemson Wednesday, then entertain Maryland and Boston College this weekend.
Match Results
No. 29 Georgia Tech 6, No. 46 NC State 1
Doubles
1. Kevin King/Juan Spir (GT) d. Dominic Hodgson/Rob Lowe (NCSU), 8-3
2. Eliot Potvin/Ryan Smith (GT) d. Fernando Banos/Frideric Prandecki (NCSU), 8-2
3. Jaime Pulgar/Dave Thomson (NCSU) d. Guillermo Gomez/Dean O’Brien (GT), 8-7
Order of finish: 2,1*,3
Singles
1. No. 94 Jaime Pulgar (NCSU) d. No. 5 Guillermo Gomez (GT), 6-4, 6-4
2. Kevin King (GT) d. Dominic Hodgson (NCSU), 4-6, 6-1, 6-3
3. Eliot Potvin (GT) d. Dave Thomson (NCSU), 6-2, 6-4
4. Miguel Muguruza (GT) d. Rob Lowe (NCSU), 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4
5. Magin Ortiga (GT) d. Rafael Paez (NCSU), 6-7 (4), 6-3, (11-9)
6. Juan Spir (GT) d. Fernando Banos (NCSU), 7-5, 7-6 (6)
Order of finish: 3,1,6,2*,4,5
2* clinched win
