Sept. 13, 2002
Athens, Ga. – The Georgia Tech men’s tennis team opened its 2002-03 campaign by facing Mississippi State on the first day of play at the Southern Intercollegiate Scramble at the Dan Magill Tennis Center on the campus of the University of Georgia in Athens, Ga.
The Yellow Jackets opened the day by splitting a pair of doubles matches with the Bulldogs, as the tournament features a modified dual-match format. Tech’s tandem of Joao Menano and Marko Rajevac defeated Mississippi State’s team of Matt Armstrong and Max Fomine in solid fashion by an 8-2 count at No. 2 doubles. The Jackets’ team of West Nott and Scott Schnugg fell to the Bulldogs’ tandem of Rene-Charles Combette and Jerome Le Belicard at No. 1 in a tight, 9-8 (5) match.
In singles action, a pair of Tech newcomers, Rajevac and Trevor McLeod picked up wins in their first action as Yellow Jackets. Rajevac was a winner at No. 4 singles as he downed Armstrong in straight sets by scores of 6-3 and 6-2. McLeod was even more impressive in his first outing as a collegian, cruising past Mississippi State’s Michael Hailey in straight sets by a score of 6-1, 6-0.
In other singles action, the Bulldogs’ Rene-Charles Combette defeated Tech’s Scott Schnugg in a hard-fought match at No. 1 singles. Schnugg won the first set by a 6-4 score, before dropping the next two by close scores of 7-5 and 6-4. At the No. 2 spot in the lineup, the Jackets’ Joao Menano fell in three sets to MSU”s Jerome Le Belicard. Menano lost the first set by a 6-4 score before rallying to win the second set 6-3. Le Belicard then won the third set, and the match, by a 6-4 count. West Nott was the final singles competitor of the day for the Jackets, dropping the first set to the Bulldogs’ Max Fomine at No. 3 singles by a 6-3 score before retiring from the match.
The Yellow Jackets are slated to face ACC rival Duke on Saturday beginning at 2 p.m., with Georgia scheduled to square off with Mississippi State at 10 a.m. Should inclement weather affect the outdoor courts in Athens, the matches will be moved to the indoor courts at the Bill Moore Tennis Center on the campus of Georgia Tech.
GEORGIA TECH VS. MISSISSIPPI STATE
SINGLES 1. Rene-Charles Combette (MS) d. Scott Schnugg (GT), 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 2. Jerome Le Belicard (MS) d. Joao Menano (GT), 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 3. Max Fomine (MS) d. West Nott (GT), 6-3, Ret. 4. Marko Rajevac (GT) d. Matt Armstrong (MS), 6-3, 6-2 5. Trevor McLeod (GT) d. Michael Hailey (MS), 6-1, 6-0
DOUBLES 1. Combette/Belicard (MS) d. Nott/Schnugg (GT), 9-8 (5) 2. Menano/Schnugg (GT) d. Armstrong/Fomine (MS), 8-2
-GT-
