Friedrich and Dennis Fall in Round of 16
May 25, 2018
NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships
- Tournament Central
- NCAA Doubles Bracket
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — South Carolina men’s tennis doubles pair No. 31 Gabriel Friedrich and Yancy Dennis saw its NCAA Doubles Championship run come to an end in the round of 16 with a 7-5, 6-2 loss at the hands of second-ranked William Blumberg and Robert Kelly of North Carolina on Friday afternoon at the Wake Forest Tennis Complex.
The Gamecocks’ highest ranked doubles pair for most of the year, Dennis and Friedrich were the fourth duo in school history to advance to the round of 16 of the NCAA Doubles Championships.
Dennis and Friedrich finished the season just one win shy of All-America status after taking down 20th-ranked Michael Kay and Carlos Divar in the opening round of the event yesterday.
Dennis/ Friedrich (SC) vs Blumberg/ Kelly (UNC)
The opening set was tight from the first serve as both teams held through the first six games.
Blumberg and Kelly, the second-ranked doubles team in the nation, forced two deuce points early with the Gamecocks serving and eventually picked up the first break to go up 4-3. Friedrich and Dennis responded immediately, however, winning four straight points in the next game to even the set at 4-4.
South Carolina held serve to go up 5-4 and came back from a 15-40 hole to force deuce in the next game. With an opportunity to break serve and put away the set, the Gamecocks missed a chance at the net to drop the game. North Carolina won the next two games to win the opening set 7-5.
North Carolina won a deuce point for the first break of the second set to go up 2-1 and later picked up another break to surge ahead 4-1. The Gamecocks were unable to extend the match any further as North Carolina won another deuce point to close out the match with a 6-2 second-set win.
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