Feb. 17, 2007

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Junior Yevgeny Supeko kept his singles record in dual matches unblemished, but the win was not enough for the No. 36 South Carolina men’s tennis team, who fell, 6-1, at No. 21 North Carolina on Saturday.

South Carolina dropped its second straight match and slipped to 6-2 on the season while UNC extended its undefeated record to 7-0 with today’s win.

North Carolina claimed a 1-0 lead during doubles play. The Tar Heels’ Taylor Fogleman and Chris Kearney defeated the Gamecock duo of Joseph Veeder and Pedro Rodrigues at No. 3 doubles, 8-4. South Carolina evened things up with a victory at No. 1 doubles. Supeko and freshman Pedro Campos fell behind, 3-1, but came back win the match, 8-5. Supeko and Campos improved to 12-2 in doubles matches and 7-1 during dual action.

The doubles point came down the No. 2 spot and UNC won in a close match. Sebastian Guejman and Stefan Hardy topped freshman Ivan Cressoni and redshirt sophomore Thomas Stoddard, 8-6.

The Gamecocks fell behind, 2-0, when Fogleman beat freshman David Wolff, 6-1, 6-0, at No. 5 singles. UNC extended its lead to 3-0 as Cressoni dropped his singles first match of the season to Kearney, 6-2, 6-2, at the fourth singles position and sealed the win when Guejman defeated Campos, 6-2, 6-4, at No. 3.

At. No. 1 singles, USC senior Pedro Rodrigues fell to North Carolina’s No. 25 Benjamin Carlotti, 6-2, 6-4, to give the Tar Heels a 5-0 lead.

Supeko went down a set to Stefan Hardy at No. 2 singles, 6-2, but rallied to take the last two sets, 6-2, 6-2, and score the Gamecocks’ only point of the match. The Daytona Beach, Fla., product moved to 8-0 in dual match play this season and owns a 10-match win streak dating back to the fall.

The Tar Heels won the final singles match as Will Plyler topped Gamecock freshman Spencer Feldman, 7-6 (2), 7-5.

USC is back in action next Sunday, Feb. 25, at home. Elon and Samford will visit Columbia for 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. matches, respectively.

Doubles Results
No 1 Pedro Campos/Yevgeny Supeko (USC) def. Lenny Gullan/David Stone (UNC), 8-5
No. 2 Sebastian Guejman/Stefan Hardy (UNC) def. Ivan Cressoni/Thomas Stoddard (USC), 8-6
No. 3 Taylor Fogleman/Chris Kearney (UNC) def. Pedro Rodrigues/Joseph Veeder (USC), 8-4

Doubles Order of Finish 3, 1, 2

Singles Results
No. 1 #25 Benjamin Carlotti (UNC) def. Pedro Rodrigues (USC), 6-2, 6-4
No. 2 Yevgeny Supeko (USC) def. Stefan Hardy (UNC) def.), 2-6, 6-2, 6-2
No. 3 Sebastian Guejman (UNC) def. Pedro Campos (USC), 6-2, 6-4
No. 4 Chris Kearney (UNC) def. Ivan Cressoni (USC) 6-2, 6-2
No. 5 Taylor Fogleman (UNC) def. David Wolff (USC), 6-1, 6-0
No. 6 Spencer Feldman (USC) vs. Will Plyler (UNC). 7-6 (2), 7-5.

Order of Finish: 5, 4, 3*, 1, 2, 6
* clinched win