Feb. 4, 2007

COLUMBIA, S.C. –

The South Carolina men’s tennis team rolled to a 6-1 win over intra-state foe Charleston Southern Sunday afternoon at the USC Indoor Fieldhouse. The victory capped a sweep of Sunday’s doubleheader and gave the Gamecocks a 4-0 record on the season.

South Carolina’s Yevgeny Supeko and Pedro Campos got things started with an easy 8-1 victory over Quentin Guichard and Steven Dean at first doubles. The victory is the fifth straight for the duo and the ninth out of 10 matches the two have played together, dating back to the fall season.

Pedro Rodrigues and David Wolff kept things going for Gamecocks by notching a win at No. 3 doubles. The pair topped Charleston Southern’s Barbar Ali Khan Akbar and Lee Schutte 8-5, to give Carolina the doubles point and the early match lead. Buccaneer twosome Jonathan Dean and Chris Peek were able to capture the second doubles match over Carolina’s Jaime Cuellar and Ivan Cressoni, 8-6.

At No. 1 singles, a strong start turned unfortunate when Cuellar went down with an injury. The junior held a 4-0 lead, but the match went to Guichard by virture of Cuellar’s retirement.

Though the Gamecocks would not notch a second straight shutout, the injury retirement would be the only way Charleston Southern would get on the board. Supeko proved his dominance, making quick work of Jonathan Dean at No. 2 singles. The junior won in straight sets, 6-1, 6-1.

Campos also turned out an impressive performance at the third singles spot. After only dropping three games in the first set, the freshmen elevated his game in the second, set shutting down Steven Dean on his way to a convincing 6-3, 6-0 win.

Freshman Spencer Feldman clinched the Carolina win with strong performance at No. 5 singles. Feldman cruised to a 6-2, 6-2, triumph over Lee Schutte. Redshirt sophomore Thomas Stoddard quickly followed Feldman with a convincing win at the No. 6 spot, defeating Akbar, 6-2, 6-1, and extended the Gamecocks’ lead to 5-1.

Cressoni and Peek engaged a marathon match at the fourth singles position. Cressoni edged Peek in the opening set, 7-5, but dropped the second set, 6-2. The Carolina freshman outlasted Peek in the third and final set, 7-5, to polish off the team win.

The Gamecocks return to action next Saturday, Feb. 10, when they play host to Charlotte and Davidson at the USC Indoor Facility. Matches are scheduled for 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.

South Carolina 6, Charleston Southern 1
Doubles
No. 1 Supeko/Campos (USC) def Guichard/S. Dean (CSU), 8-1
No. 2 J. Dean/Peek (CSU) def Cuellar/Cressoni (USC), 8-6
No. 3 Rodrigues/Wolff (USC) def Akbar/Schutte (CSU), 8-5

Doubles order of finish 1, 3, 2

Singles
No. 1 Quentin Guichard def. Jaime Cuellar, 0-4 (injury retirement)
No. 2 Yevgeny Supeko (USC) def Jonathan Dean (CSU), 6-1, 6-1
No. 3 Pedro Campos (USC) def Steven Dean (CSU), 6-3, 6-0
No. 4 Ivan Cressoni (USC) def. Chris Peek (CSU) 7-5, 2-6, 7-5
No. 5 Spencer Feldman (USC) def. Lee Schutte (CSU), 6-2, 6-2
No. 6 Thomas Stoddard (USC) def. Babar Ali Kahn Akbar, 6-2, 6-1

Singles order of finish 1, 2, 3, 5*, 6, 4

* Clinched match