Jan. 23, 2011
Columbia, S.C. – Georgia Tech’s 23rd-ranked men’s tennis team swept all three doubles matches and clinched the match by winning its first three singles matches in straight sets, defeating No. 56 South Carolina on the road Sunday afternoon, 6-1.
Tech, which improved to 2-0, quickly gained the upper hand when its 8th-ranked doubles team of Juan Spir and Kevin King defeated the Gamecocks’ Alexander Kostanov and Nick Jones, 8-5, at No. 1, improving to 17-4 for the year. The Jackets went on to sweep the doubles matches when Dean O’Brien and Guillermo Gomez downed Johannes Pulsfort and Chris Sheehan, 8-3, at No. 3, and Eliot Potvin and Ryan Smith defeated Ivan Machado and Chip Cox, 8-3, at No. 2.
The Yellow Jackets clinched the match when Gomez, the nation’s 12th-ranked player, beat Ivan Machado, 6-4, 6-0, King defeated Pulsfort, 6-3, 6-2, and Spir, ranked 48th, got past Nick Jones, 7-5, 6-4.
“It was good to get our first road win this early in the season,” said head coach Kenny Thorne, whose team lost to the Gamecocks in Columbia two year ago. “I feel we competed enthusiastically all day. South Carolina has always been tough at their place so its good to get a solid win. We are going to get a good week of practice getting ready for UNC at the National Indoors next Saturday.”
Potvin and 93rd-ranked Dusan Miljevic extended the Tech advantage to 6-0 with wins at No. 3 and 6 singles before the Gamecocks earned their only point at No. 5. The Jackets’ sophomore Magin Ortiga won the first set before falling to Chip Cox, 6-7, 6-0, 6-2.
Gomez improved to 13-4 for the year and earned his 98th career singles victory. He’ll have a chance to reach 100 next weekend when the Yellow Jackets play in the ITA National Kickoff Weekend in Athens, Ga. Tech meets North Carolina Saturday at 10 a.m., and either Oklahoma State or Georgia on Sunday.
Tennis Match Results
Georgia Tech vs South Carolina
Jan 23, 2011 at Columbia, S.C.
#23 Georgia Tech 6, #56 South Carolina 1
Singles competition
1. #12 Guillermo Gomez (GT) def. Ivan Machado (SCAR) 6-4, 6-0
2. #48 Juan Spir (GT) def. Nick Jones (SCAR) 7-5, 6-4
3. Eliot Potvin (GT) def. Alexander Kostanov (SCAR) 7-5, 3-6, 6-2
4. Kevin King (GT) def. Johannes Pulsfort (SCAR) 6-3, 6-2
5. Chip Cox (SCAR) def. Magin Ortiga (GT) 6-7, 6-0, 6-2
6. #93 Dusan Miljevic (GT) def. Chris Sheehan (SCAR) 7-6, 6-1
Doubles competition
1. #8 Juan Spir/Kevin King (GT) def. Alexander Kostanov/Nick Jones (SCAR) 8-5
2. Eliot Potvin/Ryan Smith (GT) def. Ivan Machado/Chip Cox (SCAR) 8-3
3. Dean O’Brien/Guillermo Gomez (GT) def. Johannes Pulsfort/Chris Sheehan (SCAR) 8-3
Match Notes:
Georgia Tech 2-0; National ranking #23
South Carolina 1-2; National ranking #56
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (1,4,2,3,6,5)
