April 3, 2011
College Park, Md. – Guillermo Gomez and Kevin King each won their ninth consecutive singles matches Sunday, leading 19th-ranked Georgia Tech to their fifth straight team match victory in a 5-2 triumph over No. 44 Maryland at the Cole Tennis Courts.
Tech improved to 15-2 overall and 6-1 in the ACC, winning all three of its road matches this week, including victories at Clemson Wednesday and Boston College Friday. The Terrapins dropped to 10-8 overall, 2-5 in conference play.
After the Yellow Jackets won the doubles point, Gomez, O’Brien and King won their singles matches in straight sets at No. 1, 6 and 3 to decide the team match before the Terps could get on the board.
“Kevin, Guillermo and Dean did a good job in getting out to a good start and finishing strong to clinch the team win,” said head coach Kenny Thorne. “We are getting better as a team but still have work to do. The guys have now won some good road matches and have two good opportunities against teams ranked ahead of us at home next weekend. We look forward to getting home.”
Gomez, ranked 16th nationally and 7-0 in ACC matches this spring, beat 86th-ranked Maros Horny, 6-4, 6-1, for the 111th of his career. The win left him one away from tying Thorne’s Tech record of 112 from 1985-88, and he’ll get his first chance to tie the mark next Friday against Duke at home.
O’Brien defeated Andy Magee, 6-2, 6-3, remaining undefeated in ACC play at 7-0 this spring, before King clinch it for Tech with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Collins, improving his spring record to 14-1, 6-0 in conference matches.
Maryland got wins at No. 4 and 5 singles over Potvin and Magin Ortiga before Juan Spir, ranked 67th, finished off the match for Tech with a three-set win at No. 2.
Eliot Potvin and Ryan Smith defeated Jesse Kiuru and Andy Magee at No. 2, while Gomez and Dean O’Brien downed 71st-ranked John Collins and Tommy Laine at No. 3 to get the doubles point for Tech.
“Maryland is a good team and was a good team to beat especially on the road,” said Thorne. “It was windy when we first started and our guys handled the conditions well. I felt we did a good job of taking care of basics in doubles and playing to win.”
Tech completes the home portion of its ACC schedule next weekend, hosting No. 10 Duke Friday and No. 17 North Carolina Sunday.
#19 Georgia Tech 5, #44 Maryland 2
Apr 03, 2011 at College Park, Md. (Cole Tennis Courts)
Singles competition
1. #16 Guillermo Gomez (GT) def. #86 Maros Horny (MD) 6-4, 6-1
2. #67 Juan Spir (GT) def. Sergio Wyss (MD) 4-6, 7-6 (8-6), 1-0 (10-8)
3. Kevin King (GT) def. John Collins (MD) 6-3, 6-3
4. Tommy Laine (MD) def. Eliot Potvin (GT) 6-4, 7-5
5. Jesse Kiuru (MD) def. Magin Ortiga (GT) 3-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10-7)
6. Dean O’Brien (GT) def. Andy Magee (MD) 6-2, 6-3
Doubles competition
1. Maros Horny/Jan Surovic (MD) def. #14 Juan Spir/Kevin King (GT) 8-7 (7-4)
2. Eliot Potvin/Ryan Smith (GT) def. Jesse Kiuru/Andy Magee (MD) 8-4
3. Guillermo Gomez/Dean O’Brien (GT) def. #71 John Collins/Tommy Laine (MD) 8-5
Match Notes
Georgia Tech 15-2 (6-1); National ranking #19
Maryland 10-8 (2-5); National ranking #44
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (1,6,3,5,4,2)
