April 2, 2003
Atlanta, Ga. – No. 20 South Carolina rolled over No. 23 Georgia Tech, 5-2, improving to 14-4 on the season while remaining perfect with a 7-0 mark against Region II opponents. The Gamecocks have won six of the last seven matches played at Georgia Tech, 11 of their last 12 meetings with the Yellow Jackets and hold a decisive 25-4 advantage in the all-time series.
Georgia Tech won the doubles point 2-1, despite an 8-2 victory by USC’s tandem of Marcus Westman and Ben Atkinson at No. 3.
The Gamecocks dominated singles play, winning five of the six matches, falling just a tiebreaker short of sweeping.
No. 72 Angelo Niculescu recorded his team-leading 13th dual match victory of the season with a 6-2, 6-4, win over No. 79 Scott Schnugg at No. 2. Carl Wermee, ranked 116th, ran his dual record to 10-1 with a 6-1, 1-6, 6-4 triumph over West Nott, keeping his record an unblemished 5-0 at No. 4.
Westman and Atkinson, who notched the clinching victory, won their matches at No. 3 and No. 5 while Tom Eklund was a straight-set winner at No. 6.
No. 67 Seth Rose dropped a tightly-contested 4-6, 6-0, 7-6 (5), match to 26th-ranked Roger Anderson at No. 1.
USC beings a stretch of five matches home matches in nine days on Friday with a 2 p.m. contest against 2002 National runner-up Georgia. All opponents during the homestand at the Sam Daniel Tennis Center are currently ranked 42nd or better, including two top-ten teams.
No. 20 SOUTH CAROLINA (14-4) 5, No. 23 Georgia Tech (11-6) 2
Doubles
1. #19 Roger Anderson/Scott Schnugg (GT) def. Angelo Niculescu/Tom Eklund (USC), 8-3
2. Joao Menano/Marko Rajevac (GT) def. Seth Rose/Carl Wermee (USC), 9-7
3. Marcus Westman/Ben Atkinson (USC) def. Trevor McLeod/West Nott (GT), 8-2
Georgia Tech wins the doubles point, leads 1-0
Singles
1. #26 Roger Anderson (GT) def. #67 Seth Rose (USC), 4-6, 6-0, 7-6 (5)
2. #72 Angelo Niculescu (USC) def. #79 Scott Schnugg (GT), 6-2, 6-4
3. Marcus Westman (USC) def. Joao Menano (GT), 6-3, 7-6 (2)
4. #116 Carl Wermee (USC) def. West Nott (GT), 6-1, 1-6, 6-4
5. Ben Atkinson (USC) def. Trevor McLeod (GT), 6-3, 4-6, 6-0
6. Tom Eklund (USC) def. Marko Rajevac (GT), 6-4, 6-2
