Feb. 19, 2005
Columbia, S.C. – The USC men’s tennis squad will look to continue its run of success in home matches on Sunday, when they take on Troy and Georgia Southern at the Sam Daniels Tennis Facility, beginning at 10:30 a.m. The Gamecocks (7-1, 0-0 SEC) come into the match riding a three-match winning streak, and have won five straight home matches to open the season. USC has also won seven of its last eight home matches dating back to last season.
Carolina’s match this morning against Troy (2-5, 1-0 A-Sun) is the first ever meeting between the two schools in a men’s tennis match. However, Troy and USC have three opponents in common this season, with the Trojans taking on Clemson twice, as well as in-state rivals Alabama and Auburn. Troy is coming off of a 4-3 upset over two-time, defending Atlantic Sun champion Central Florida on Friday.
Carolina’s second match of the day is against the Georgia Southern Eagles (1-6, 0-0 SoCon). USC and Georgia Southern have met 17 times, with Carolina holding a 15-2 lead in the series. The two teams have not met however, since the 1985 season, when USC defeated the Eagles 5-1 in Columbia. Carolina has won 13 of the last 14 meetings in the series.
For USC junior Geraldo Knorr, Sunday will be a special day. He will see his twin brother, Germano, across the net for the first time in their collegiate careers. Germano, a sophomore, is a member of the 2005 Georgia Southern squad. While the two brothers will not likely face each other on the court since Geraldo has played most of the season at Nos. 1-2 singles, and Germano at No. 6 singles, it will still be a great day for the two brothers who once finished second in the Brazilian National Doubles Tournament.
The match against Georgia Southern is scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m., pending the end of the Troy match. Both matches will take place at the Sam Daniels Tennis Facility, on the corner of Heyward and Sumter, adjacent to Sarge Frye Field and the George Terry Spring Sports Center. Admission is free and the matches are open to the public.
