April 3, 2005
Columbia, S.C. –
USC Head Coach Kent DeMars:
On the match:
The guys were all saying before the match, ‘this is the day we beat Georgia’. We won today because they thought they were going to win. I tell the guys that we need to make this a nasty place to come to. A lot of teams, including Georgia today, are too impatient. We’ve got a slow court and we keep the ball in play a lot. Even if we have just a decent team, we’re going to win our share because of our home court advantage.
On the weekend and its potential impacts on the NCAA tournament:
Once we beat a team as good as Tennessee and as bad as we didm you’re going to be in good shape. We wanted to be a three seed or a two seed, but now (after beating Georgia) we say that maybe we can host (NCAA 1st Round Regionals). A number one seed is not out of reach. It’ll be interesting to see where we are after this and still with teams like Florida, Ole Miss, and Mississippi State to play. I think these guys would be disappointed not to make the last 16.
On Wednesday’s match with Clemson:
They’re coming to our place and we say ‘come on.’ We’re ready for them. They went to the Sweet Sixteen last season and they’ve been in the Top 20 all year. We’re coming off of Tennessee and Georgia, and then we’ve got to board a bus for a 10-hour ride to Mississippi the next day, but it’s a great rivalry and we love playing each other. We can’t wait to play them.
Junior Tom Eklund:
On the match:
We knew they were better than us match by match, but as a team we were ready and we got a few breaks we don’t normally get and were able to beat them.
On his upset of #13 John Isner:
I just got one break early in the second set and I knew I could win. He has a bigger stroke and longer legs than me, but I just kept the ball in play and tried to make him win instead of me losing it. After the break in the third set, I was focusing more on [Cuellar’s] match than my own, but I knew I could win it.
Freshman Jaime Cuellar:
On the match:
The team came together yesterday after the Tennessee match and we wanted to beat [Georgia] bad.
On his match-clinching win at No. 3 singles:
I didn’t think it would come down to me, but I was glad it did. I love that, especially in front of all those people. I’m really happy for the team and this win.
On being down three match points and 3-5 in the final set:
I was struggling, not because of how I was playing, but the wind. I brought up my intensity and tried to make him try and win it. I knew if it could happen to me, it could happen to him too.
