Eagles Fall to No. 72 Spartans
USC Upstate jumped ahead early in the match, sweeping the doubles matches for the early point. The courts finished in numerical order with Javier Tori and Renzo Airaldi taking an 8-2 decision from the top seed, while Jack Roux and Marco Linconir came back from an early deficit to clinch the point with an 8-3 victory over No. 2. With the point already won, Edgar Rodriguez and Ramiro Blanco completed the sweep at No. 3, 8-4.
The Spartans carried their doubles momentum into singles action, quickly pushing the score to 3-0 with straight set wins at the two and five seeds, respectively. Both Airaldi and Roux defeated their Eagle opponents with 6-2, 6-1 scores. Tori clinched the decision for USC Upstate competing at the No. 3 singles spot. Gregory Bekkers (Antwerp, Belgium) kept the match close in both sets, but succumbed to the Spartan, 6-4, 6-4.
Garrido (Vigo, Spain) notched a victory for GS and put the Eagles on the board from the four seed. The sophomore won the first set over Linconir, 7-6 (4), before the Spartan was forced to retire due to an injury. With the overall match score at 4-1, USC Upstate closed out the remainder of the match with victories from the bottom and top seeds.
Juan Manuel Melian Puigventos (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain) took his Spartan opponent, Rodriguez, into a first set tiebreak, but fell, 7-3. Rodriguez took control early in the second set, defeating Melian Puigventos, 6-1, to close out the match.
“We were disappointed in our performance today certainly,” said head coach Justin Miles. “But hopefully we can readjust during this week of practice and be prepared for Hampton next weekend.”
Georgia Southern continues this three-match homestand welcoming Hampton on Feb. 21. First serve is slated for 10 a.m.
No. 72 USC Upstate 6, Georgia Southern 1
Records: USC Upstate 1-3, GS 2-5
Doubles:
1. Javier Tori/Renzo Airaldi (USC) d. Juan Manuel Melian Puigventos/Gregory Bekkers (GSU) 8-2
2. Jack Roux/Marco Linconir (USC) d. Jayraj Jadeja/Justin Flynn (GSU) 8-3*
3. Edgar Rodriguez/Ramiro Blanco (USC) d. Matthijs Verdam/Alain Garrido (GSU) 8-4
Order of finish: 1, 2, 3
*Clinched the doubles point
Singles:
1. Edgar Rodriguez (USC) d. Juan Manuel Melian Puigventos (GSU) 7-6 (3), 6-1
2. Renzo Airaldi (USC) d. Jayraj Jadeja (GSU) 6-2, 6-1
3. Javier Tori (USC) d. Gregory Bekkers (GSU) 6-4, 6-4*
4. Alain Garrido (GSU) d. Marco Linconir (USC) 7-6(4), ret.
5. Jack Roux (USC) d. Matthijs Verdam (GSU) 6-2, 6-1
6. Ramiro Blanco (USC) d. Justin Flynn (GSU) 6-4, 6-3
Order of finish: 2, 5, 3, 4, 6, 1
*Clinched the match
- Category: Men's Tennis
- Published on Sunday, 14 February 2010 14:18
