April 7, 2012
ATLANTA – Juan Spir pulled of a straight-set upset of the nation’s third-ranked player, but it was the only point Georgia Tech could muster Saturday in a 6-1 Atlantic Coast Conference loss to Virginia in men’s tennis at the Bill Moore Tennis Center. Tech dropped to 9-10 overall and 4-5 in the ACC, in the final home match for two seniors and the final men’s home matches in the facility, which will be demolished in May to make way for the brand new Ken Byers Tennis Complex, which will open next January. Virginia remained undefeated in conference play at 9-0, 19-1 overall.
The Yellow Jackets played Sunday’s match without their All-American Kevin King, one of their two seniors, because of a sore shoulder developed in Saturday’s match with Virginia Tech. But Spir stepped into the No. 1 position against Virginia’s top player, Jarmere Jenkins from College Park, Ga., and scored the biggest victory of his career, 6-4, 7-5. Jenkins played in front of a hundred or so family and friends Saturday.
Spir has won his last four matches against players ranked No. 90, 26, 123 and 3. Unfortunately for Tech, however, the Cavaliers had long since clinched the match, first taking the doubles point and then earning straight-set wins at the other five singles positions.
“We lost to a better team today, but I feel like we’ve made progress in each match over the last month,” said head coach Kenny Thorne. “It was unfortunate that Kevin couldn’t play today on Senior Day. He’s been big for us all year, but we had to sit him out. Kevin and Dusan (Miljevic) have done a tremendous job for us all season, and helped us get a big win Friday against Virginia Tech.
“For Juan to come out and beat the No. 3 player in the country in front of his friends and family says a lot about how far game has progressed. He’s played very well of late.”
Virginia had four other players ranked in the nation’s top 125 competing at 2 through 5. No. 34 Alex Domijan defeated Miljevic, Tech’s other senior, 6-2, 6-1 at No. 2, while top-ranked Mitchell Frank, a freshman, beat Juan Melian, 6-0, 6-3, at No. 3. No. 75 Justin Shane downed Tech freshman Sebastian Lopez, 6-1, 7-5 at No. 4, and No. 124 Drew Courtney scored a 6-1, 6-4 win over Jacket rookie Vikram Hundal at No. 5.
Phillipe Oudshoorn took a 6-2, 6-3 win over another Tech freshman, Eduardo Segura, at the sixth position.
With King sidelined, Virginia swept all three doubles matches. Spir paired with Melian at No. 1 and battled the 20th-ranked team of Jenkins and Courtney and led 5-4 before the Cavs ran off four straight games for the win. Shane and Steven Rooda defeated Hundal and Lopez, 8-4 at No. 2, while Domijan and Frank overcame Miljevic and Segura, 8-6, at No. 3.
Tech returns to action next weekend to play their final two regular season matches at NC State Friday and Wake Forest Sunday.
#2 Virginia 6, #70 Georgia Tech 1
Apr 07, 2012 at Atlanta, Ga.
Singles competition
1. Juan Spir (GT) def. #3 Jarmere Jenkins (VA) 6-4, 7-5
2. #34 Alex Domijan (VA) def. Dusan Miljevic (GT) 6-2, 6-1
3. #1 Mitchell Frank (VA) def. Juan Melian (GT) 6-0, 6-3
4. #75 Justin Shane (VA) def. Sebastian Lopez (GT) 6-1, 7-5
5. #124 Drew Courtney (VA) def. Vikram Hundal (GT) 6-1, 6-4
6. Philippe Oudshoorn (VA) def. Eduardo Segura (GT) 6-2, 6-3
Doubles competition
1. #20 Jarmere Jenkins/Drew Courtney (VA) def. Juan Spir/Juan Melian (GT) 8-5
2. Steven Rooda/Justin Shane (VA) def. Vikram Hundal/Sebastian Lopez (GT) 8-4
3. Alex Domijan/Mitchell Frank (VA) def. Dusan Miljevic/Eduardo Segura (GT) 8-6
Match Notes:
Virginia 19-1, 9-0 ACC; National ranking #2
Georgia Tech 9-10, 4-5 ACC; National ranking #70
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (2,5,6,3,4,1)
T-3:04 A-1000
