March 8, 2008
ATLANTA – The Georgia Tech men’s tennis team (9-3, 1-2 ACC) fell to No. 24 Miami (7-3, 1-0), 5-2, Friday evening in a 6 ½ hour match at the Bill Moore Tennis Center.
The Yellow Jackets freshmen doubles tandem of Doug Kenny and Eliot Potvin won the first doubles match of the day, 8-4, over Keith Crawley and Hector Nieto but the Jackets could not capitalize, losing both the No. 1 and No. 2 doubles and the first point of the day. The doubles team of Guillermo Gomez and David North went back-and-forth with No. 39 David Rosenfeld and Vivek Subramanian but ultimately fell, 9-8 (14-12).
“David and Guillermo played extremely hard while taking part in some of the most incredible doubles points that I have been a part of in my 10 years of coaching,” head coach Kenny Thorne said.
With a 1-0 lead, the Hurricanes would extend their lead after taking the first singles match of the day as Carl Sundberg defeated Scott Blackmon, 6-3, 6-3, at the No. 4 spot. David North would bring the Jackets within one as he would outlast David Rosenfeld, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, from the No. 2 position.
Miami would move ahead 3-1 after No. 3 Daniel Vallverdu held off freshman Guillermo Gomez, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5, from the top spot in the lineup. Gomez had four match points against the No. 3 player in the nation but was unable to pull off the upset. The Hurricanes sealed the win when Vicek Subramanian defeated Potvin, 7-5, 5-7, 6-4, in a tightly contested battle at No. 3 singles.
“Guillermo played each point tonight with passion and boldness against the No. 3 player in the nation,” Thorne said. “Five of six singles matches went three sets with incredible points being played by both teams in each of the matches. Our fans really got into the match and were very loud.”
Freshman Miguel Muguruza picked up a three-set, 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (7-2), come-from-behind win over J.C. Whitner at the sixth position for the Jackets. Freshman Ryan Smith dropped a closely contested match against Keith Crawley, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4, from the No. 5 spot.
The Jackets will return to the courts next Wednesday, March 12 against No. 3 Georgia in Athens.
– RamblinWreck.com –
