April 4, 2002

Columbia, S.C. –
Playing the first of five consecutive road matches, South Carolina’s men’s tennis team travels to Athens, Ga, for a Friday contest against the No. 1 ranked Bulldogs. The SEC match is set to begin at 5:00 p.m. at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex.

The Gamecocks (13-4, 4-4 SEC) are looking to bounce back after Sunday’s 4-3 loss to Alabama. USC has not lost back-to-back matches this season. Taking the courts for the Gamecocks will be three nationally ranked players, including two first-time honorees. Seth Rose leads USC in the latest national rankings coming in at No. 55. Angelo Niculescu cracked the list for the first time this season coming in at No. 75. The third ranked Gamecock is Marcus Westman. Westman, a sophomore from Sweden, has recorded a perfect 17-0 mark in dual match play, 8-0 SEC. Westman’s winning streak, based primarly out of the No. 3 position, has landed him at No. 90.

Georgia enters Friday’s contest sporting a 15 match winning streak. 20-1 overall, Georgia’s only loss came on Feb. 9th at the hands of No. 3 Illinois. The Bulldogs are led by the nation’s No. 5 ranked player, Matias Boeker. Three other Bulldogs are also represented in the rankings. Georgia holds a 17-4 all-time record against the Gamecocks, including a 10-2 advantage in Athens.