Doubles Point Lifts Chanticleers Past Eagles
2/13/2009 5:19:00 AM | Men's Tennis
STATESBORO, GA ?The doubles point was the deciding factor in the Eagles' first loss of 2009 as they dropped a 4-3 decision Friday afternoon (Feb. 13) to the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers at the Hanner Tennis Complex. With the loss, the Georgia Southern men's tennis team fell to 3-1 on the season, while Coastal Carolina remained perfect, improving to 6-0.
Georgia Southern looked to be in good position to take the early advantage after securing the first doubles match off the court at the three seed. The junior Eagle duo of Justin Flynn and Jayraj Jadeja cruised to an 8-4 victory over Chanticleers' Joseph Withers and John Hairston. But Coastal Carolina evened the doubles point by notching a win at the two seed. Plamen Tzvetkoy and Dmitry Vlaskin downed Gregory Bekkers and Philip Prins, 8-3, leaving the doubles point decision to the one position where Joris De Weerdt and Matthew Sands found themselves down 5-4 to Ernesto Ramos and German Perez. Trying to bring the match to a tiebreak, the Eagle tandem fought back from 0-30 at 6-7 to deuce only to drop the game after two double faults. The 8-6 victory clinched the doubles point for Coastal Carolina.
After a tight doubles point, Coastal Carolina took three first sets to start off singles competition, but dropped the first match off the court. De Weerdt crushed Perez at the one seed in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3, to even the score at 1-all. The Chanticleers and Eagles traded singles victories as Tzvetkoy notched a win at the five seed right before Alain Garrido bypassed Dorian Sovic at the four seed, 7-5, 1-6, 6-2, tying the match at 2-all.
The Eagles took a 3-2 lead when Jadeja upended Coastal Carolina's Vlaskin in three sets, 7-5, 1-6, 6-2, at the three seed. The win pushed Jadeja to a perfect 3-0 record in singles action thus far in the season. The Chanticleers quickly tied the match at 3-all when Ramos defeated Bekkers in three sets, 6-2, 5-7, 6-3, leaving the match decision to the final court where Edio Castanhel was facing Withers at the six seed. Castanhel battled back from dropping the first set 7-5 to take the second, 6-4 and push the match into a third set. Withers took the third set 6-0, thereby clinching the match for the Chanticleers at 4-3.
“We did a good job of fighting at the end,” said head coach Justin Miles. “We need to do a better job at the beginning starting with the doubles. We need to bring the same intensity in doubles as we did in singles.”
Georgia Southern hits the road next for its first road trip of the season to take on North Florida and Jacksonville. First serve at North Florida is slated for 11 a.m. on February 21.
Coastal Carolina 4, Georgia Southern 3
Doubles:
1. Ernesto Ramos/German Perez (CCU) d. Joris De Weerdt/Matthew Sands (GSU) 8-6 *
2. Plamen Tzvetkoy/Dmitry Vlaskin (CCU) d. Gregory Bekkers/Philip Prins (GSU) 8-3
3. Justin Flynn/Jayraj Jadeja (GSU) d. Joseph Withers/John Hairston (CCU) 8-4
Order of finish: 3, 2, 1
*Clinched the doubles point
Singles:
1. Joris De Weerdt (GSU) d. German Perez (CCU) 6-2, 6-3
2. Ernesto Ramos (CCU) d. Gregory Bekkers (GSU) 6-2, 5-7, 6-3
3. Jayraj Jadeja (GSU) d. Dmitry Vlaskin (CCU) 7-5, 1-6, 6-2
4. Alain Garrido (GSU) d. Dorian Sovic (CCU) 7-5, 2-6, 6-2
5. Plamen Tzvetkoy (CCU) d. Justin Flynn (GSU) 7-5, 6-3
6. Joseph Withers (CCU) d. Edio Castanhel (GSU) 7-5, 4-6, 6-0*
Order of finish: 1, 5, 4, 3, 2, 6
*Clinched the match
