May 11, 2002
Athens, Ga. – Marcus Westman of South Carolina won a second-set tiebreaker over Georgia Tech’s Scott Schnugg at No. 4 singles to give the 19th-ranked Gamecocks a 4-2 victory over the Yellow Jackets in the first round of the NCAA Men’s Tennis Regional in Athens, Ga. The loss ends Georgia Tech’s season with a 15-11 record, while South Carolina (17-8) advances to the Sunday’s regional final at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex.
Tech, ranked 44th, won the doubles point for a 1-0 lead in the match but quickly fell behind in singles, dropping the first set in all six flights. After the Gamecocks took a 3-1 lead with wins at No. 2, No. 3 and No. 5 singles, Tech’s Roger Anderson pulled the Jackets within 3-2 with a 2-6, 6-0, 6-2 victory over Seth Rose at No. 1 singles, and the Jackets’ Stephen Moros forced a third set against Rodrigo Pachecho at No. 6 singles. Moments later, however, Westman, who won the first set 6-4, outlasted Schnugg in the second set tiebreaker to clinch the win for the Gamecocks.
“We knew we needed to win the doubles point to have a chance, and we accomplished that goal, but we didn’t carry that momentum into singles,” said Tech head coach Kenny Thorne, who has led the Jackets to NCAA berths in three of his four seasons.
“They jumped on us with six first sets, and it takes a lot of energy out of you to have to overcome that. You just can’t put yourself in that kind of hole.
“But give credit to South Carolina because they are a very good team. To lose the doubles point and then come back and play that well up and down the line in singles deserves a lot of credit.”
Anderson and David Wright defeated Westman and Angelo Nicuslescu, 8-5, at No. 1 doubles, while at the No. 3 flight Moros and Joao Menano also won 8-5, over David Nelson and Ben Atkinson.
Niculescu downed Wright at No. 2 singles, 6-1, 6-3, Nelson defeated Menano, 6-4, 6-1, at No. 3, and Carl Wermee knocked off West Nott, 6-1, 6-3, at No. 5 singles.
Anderson, a junior from South Africa, earned a berth in the NCAA Individual Championships, which begin May 22 in College Station, Texas.
SOUTH CAROLINA 4, GEORGIA TECH 2
NCAA Regional, Athens, Ga.
Singles:
1. Roger Anderson (GT) d. Seth Rose (SC), 2-6, 6-0, 6-2
2. Angelo Niculescu (SC) d. David Wright (GT), 6-1, 6-3
3. David Nelson (SC) d. Joao Menano (GT), 6-4, 6-1
4. Marcus Westman (SC) d. Scott Schnugg (GT), 6-4, 7-6
5. Carl Wermee (SC) d. West Nott (GT), 6-1, 6-3
6. Stephen Moros (GT) vs. Rodrigo Pacheco (SC), DNF
Doubles
1. Anderson/Wright (GT) d. Westman/Niculescu (SC), 8-5
2. Nott/Schnugg (GT) vs. Rose/Wermee (SC), DNF
3. Menano/Moros (GT) d. Nelson/Ben Atkinson (SC), 8-5
–30–
