Feb. 27, 2007

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Freshman Pedro Campos earned a three-set victory at No. 2 singles to seal the South Carolina men’s tennis team’s 4-3 win over Georgia Tech Tuesday afternoon at the Sam Daniel Tennis Facility. The Gamecocks improved to 8-3 on the season while Tech’s record dropped to 3-5 on the season.

Carolina fell into an early hole after surrendering the doubles point. Georgia Tech’s Jordan DeLass and George Gvelesiani defeated the Gamecock tandem of Thomas Stoddard and Joseph Veeder, 8-3, at the No. 3 spot. The Yellow Jackets secured the point with an 8-2 victory from Luke Rassow-Kantor and Eric Molnar, who defeated senior Pedro Rodrigues and freshman Ivan Cressoni at No. 2 doubles.

South Carolina tied things up with the first singles win as Cressoni dispatched Rassow-Kantor, 6-4, 6-0, at No. 4 singles. The Yellow Jackets quickly regained the lead, 2-1, when Jose Muguruza topped Gamecock senior Pedro Rodrigues at No. 1 singles, 6-0, 6-4. With four singles matches remaining on court, the Gamecocks would need to win three in order to take the match from Georgia Tech.

Junior Yevgeny Supeko extended his win streak to 12 and tied the match at two after beating Zach Rath at the No. 3 spot. Supeko squeaked out a tiebreaker to win the first set and then polished off the victory 6-2 in the second set. Supeko upped his singles record in dual matches to 10-0.

The Yellow Jackets would take the lead again. Scott Blackmon edged Carolina freshman David Wolff, 7-5, 7-5, at the fifth singles spot to put the Yellow Jackets ahead, 3-2. . Gamecock freshman Spencer Feldman knotted the match at three points apiece with a 6-4, 6-4 win at No. 6 singles. That left Campos and DeLass on court two to decided the match. ` After falling in the first set, 6-4, Campos rebounded to win the second, 6-4. In the decisive set, he proved he could handle pressure, pulling out a 6-3 win to push the Gamecocks past Georgia Tech.

South Carolina improved to 26-6 all-time against Georgia Tech and earned its first win in three tries this season against an ACC foe. The Yellow Jackets slipped to 0-3 versus SEC teams with today’s loss.

The Gamecocks open Southeastern Conference play this weekend with matches against Mississippi State and Ole Miss. Carolina faces the Bulldogs on Friday, March 2, in Starkville before traveling to Oxford for a contest with the Rebels on Sunday, March 4.

SOUTH CAROLINA 4, GEORGIA TECH 3

Doubles
No. 1 Supeko/Campos (USC) vs. Blackmon/Muguruza (GT), 4-4 unfinished
No. 2 Molnar/Rassow-Kantor (GT) def. Rodrigues/Cressoni (USC), 8-2
No. 3 DeLass/Gvelesiani (GT) def. Stoddard/Veeder (USC), 8-3

Order of Finish: 3, 2

Singles
No. 1 Jose Muguruza (GT) def. Pedro Rodrigues (USC), 6-0, 6-4
No. 2 Pedro Campos (USC) def. Jordan DeLass (GT), 4-6, 6-4, 6-3*
No. 3 Yevgeny Supeko (USC) def. Zach Rath (GT), 7-6, 6-2
No. 4 Ivan Cressoni (USC) def. Luke Rassow-Kantor (GT), 6-4, 6-0
No. 5 Scott Blackmon (GT) def. David Wolff (USC), 7-5, 7-5
No. 6 Spencer Feldman (USC) def. George Gvelesiani (GT), 6-4, 6-4

Order of Finish: 4, 1, 3, 5, 6, 2

* Clinched win.