Feb. 6, 2005
Davidson, N.C. – The 39th-ranked USC men’s tennis team improved to 3-0 on the season for the fifth straight season, and extended its unbeaten record against Charlotte to 11-0. Carolina (3-0, 0-0 SEC) won the first two doubles matches and took four of five singles matches, to get a 5-1 win in the first half of Sunday’s doubleheader.
In the doubles matches, Pedro Rodrigues and Dmitry Babenko teamed up to defeat the 49ers’ Jonathan Clark and Stuart Lynas 8-2. At the No. 2 doubles slot, freshman Jaime Cuellar and junior Geraldo Knorr took out Dorian Host and Roy Sichel 8-5. Ben Atkinson and Thomas Stoddard put up a terrific effort at the No. 3 doubles, but couldn’t stop Marlo Santaso and Jonathan Vencatachellum and fell 8-6.
Charlotte (1-2, 0-0 CUSA) trailed 1-0 after losing the doubles point but came out strong in singles play, with Sichel handing USC’s sophomore Rodrigues his first singles loss of the season, in a hard-fought, tight match at the No. 1 slot (4-6, 6-1, 6-4). Carolina responded well however, and went on to sweep the remaining four singles matches.
Carolina will take on host Davidson in the second half of the doubleheader later on Sunday. USC is without their regular No. 1 singles player, junior Tom Eklund, who did not make the trip Sunday due to a back injury sustained in the first set of his singles match against East Carolina in the Gamecocks’ season opener last Saturday, Jan. 29.
Final Score:
#39 South Carolina (3-0, 0-0 SEC) 5
Charlotte (1-2, 0-0 CUSA) 1
Doubles:
Pedro Rodrigues/Dmitry Babenko (SC) def. Jonathan Clark/Stuart Lynas (C) 8-2
Jaime Cuellar/Geraldo Knorr (SC) def. Dorian Host/Roy Sichel (C) 8-5
Marlo Santoso/Jonathan Vencatachellum (C) def. Ben Atkinson/Thomas Stoddard (SC) 8-6
South Carolina wins doubles point
Singles:
Roy Sichel (C) def. Pedro Rodrigues (SC) 4-6, 6-1, 6-4
Geraldo Knorr (SC) def. Jonathan Clark (C) 6-2, 6-1
Jaime Cuellar (SC) def. Marlo Santaso (C) 7-6(7-3), 2-6, 6-3
Ben Atkinson (SC) def. Dorian Host (C) 6-2, 6-1
Dmitry Babenko (SC) def. Zvi Lantsberg (C) 6-1, 6-1
Adam Adler (SC) vs. Stuart Lynas (C) 6-2, 2-3 (susp.)
