March 30, 2003

Tuscaloossa, Ala. – No. 16 Alabama edged No. 18 South Carolina, 4-3, in Sunday’s SEC men’s tennis match. The loss drops the Gamecocks to 13-4 overall, 3-4 in conference matches.

The home standing Crimson Tide took a 1-0 lead, earning the doubles point with 8-3 and 8-2 victories at No. 1 and No. 3.

USC’s Seth Rose, ranked 67th, continued his stellar play at No. 1 singles, defeating Alabama’s 74th ranked Maxim Belski, 6-4, 6-4, for his second victory over a ranked opponent this weekend.

Carl Wermee won his No. 4 singles match in a 7-5, 6-1, decision over the Tide’s Geoff Hiscox while teammate Ben Atkinson defeated UA’s Michael Ray Pallares, 6-4, 2-6, 7-5 at No. 6 singles.

Alabama clinched the match when Stephen Mitchell came from behind to defeat Carolina’s Marcus Westman, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1, at No. 2 singles.

The Gamecocks return to action on Wed., April 2 in a match at Georgia Tech. USC returns home for a Friday, April 4 match with Georgia, beginning a five-match home stand over a span of nine days.

No. 16 Alabama (14-6, 3-5) 4, No. 18 SOUTH CAROLINA (13-4, 3-4) 3
Doubles
No. 1: Maxim Belski/Geoff Hiscox (UA) def. Marcus Westman/Tom Eklund (USC), 8-3
No. 2: Stephen Mitchell/Bradley Friedman (UA) vs. Seth Rose/Carl Wermee (USC), 6-5, susp.
No. 3: William Boyles/Chris Gostek (UA) def. Nasir Sherazi/Ben Atkinson (USC), 8-2
Alabama wins doubles point, leads 1-0

Singles
No. 1: #67Rose (USC) def. #75 Belski (UA), 6-4, 6-4
No. 2: Mitchell (UA) def. Westman (USC), 4-6, 6-4, 6-1
No. 3: #91 Gostek (UA) def. Eklund (USC), 6-0, 7-5
No. 4: #116 Wermee (USC) def. Hiscox (UA), 7-5, 6-1
No. 5: Christian Brodersen (UA) def. Knorr (USC), 6-1, 6-1
No. 6: Atkinson (USC) def. Michael Ray Pallares (UA), 6-4, 2-6, 7-5