Jan. 24, 2009
COLUMBIA, S.C. – – The Georgia Tech men’s tennis team dropped a 5-2 decision to South Carolina Saturday in Columbia, S.C. The Jackets fall to 2-1 on the season while the Gamecocks improve to 3-0.
“I wasn’t disappointed in our effort today,” head coach Kenny Thorne said. “I was disappointed in the way we executed and that will be corrected. I told the guys it was important that we win doubles play and we just didn’t execute enough in the end.”
After falling down 2-0 through doubles play and the first singles match, the Jackets fought back with identical 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 wins by sophomore Guillermo Gomez and freshman Kevin King over USC’s No. 1 and No. 2 to close the score at 3-2.
Needing wins from sophomores Miguel Muguruza and Ryan Smith at the No. 5 and No. 6 positions to take the match, the Jackets fell short as neither was able to pull out a win. Smith was defeated by the Gamecock’s Ivan Cressoni 6-3, 6-4, and Muguruza by Johannes Pulsfort 3-6, 6-4, 6-2.
“The top of the lineup came through and did some good things,” Thorne added. “But we didn’t make quick enough adjustments and really lost momentum in our matches.”
In doubles play, King and partner Doug Kenny evened the slate at 1-1 with a 9-7 win, but it was South Carolina’s Jaime Cuellar and Johannes Pulsfort that gave USC the point with an 8-6 win over Gomez and sophomore Eliot Potvin. King moved both his singles and doubles record to 3-0 on the season with Saturday’s wins.
Tech returns to action next weekend, Jan. 30-Feb. 1, at the ITA National Team Indoor Qualifier in Waco, Texas. The Jackets will play in the Baylor region with San Diego State, Utah and the host Bears.
Results
Doubles Play(1) Diego Cubas/Ivan Machado (SC) def. Ryan Smith/Miguel Muguruza (GT) 8-6(2) Kevin King/Doug Kenny (GT) def. Pedro Campos/Joe Veeder (SC) 9-7(3) J. Cuellar/J. Pulsfort (SC) def. Guillermo Gomez/Eliot Potvin (GT) 8-6
Order of Finish: 1, 2, 3
Singles Play (1) #14 Guillermo Gomez (GT) def. #42 Diego Cubas (USC) 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 (2) Kevin King (GT) def. Pedro Campos (USC) 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 (3) Jaime Cuellar (USC) def. Eliot Potvin (GT) 6-1, 6-3 (4) Ivan Machado (USC) def. Dusan Miljevic (GT) 7-5, 3-6, 6-1 (5) Johannes Pulsofrt (USC) def. Miguel Muguruza (GT) 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 (6) Ivan Cressoni (USC) def. Ryan Smith (GT) 6-3, 6-4
Order of Finish: 3, 1, 4, 2, 6, 5
