March 2, 2007
Columbia, S.C. – Columbia, S.C. – The South Carolina Men’s tennis team used a dramatic third set come- from-behind win by David Wolff to seal a 4-3 victory Friday evening against Mississippi State. The win improves the Gamecocks’ record to 8-3 (1-0 SEC), while drops the Bulldogs to 3-4 (0-1 SEC).
The two schools started the day with three doubles matches that would all prove to be competitive. The first decision would come on court three, when Thomas Stoddard and Joseph Veeder gave South Carolina an early advantage overtaking Chris Doerr and Pjotrs Necajevs 8-5.
Miss. State tied up the score claiming victory at second doubles when Edouard Benchetrit and Philippe Frayssinoux edged out Pedro Rodrigues and Ivan Cressoni. With the score tied at seven the Bulldog duo applied the pressure, taking the next two games to win the match, 9-7.
With each school claiming a doubles victory, the doubles point and early match lead came down to the ongoing battle on court one. # 42 Yevgeny Supeko and Pedro Campos found themselves in a tiebreaker after Ivan Bjelica and Artem Kuznetsov tied things up at eight games all. The nationally ranked Carolina pair jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the breaker and than traded points to win, 8-7(4).
In singles play, # 58 Supeko continued his successful play claiming his 13th straight victory of the season to remain undefeated. The junior made quick work of Kuznetsov at third singles winning in straight sets, 6-3, 6- 1.
South Carolina’s 2-0 advantage did not last long as Rodrigues fell to # 38 Bjelica at first singles. Rodrigues was able to get on the board first in both sets, but eventually fell 6-3, 6-3.
The lead quickly changed when Miss. State picked up additional wins at the No. 2 and No. 3 singles positions. Campos battled competitively, but eventually dropped the second singles match, 7-5, 6-4, to Frayssinoux, while Spencer Feldman was topped by Ryan Farlow, 6-3, 6-3, on court six.
With the losses the Gamecocks trailed 3-2, and needed to claim victories in both of the final two unfinished matches in order to win the match.
At fourth singles, Cressoni found himself in an intense engagement with Benchetrit. Cressoni needed a tiebreaker in both sets, but eventually came away with a 7-6(4), 7-6(3) win.
At fifth singles a dramatic deciding match developed between South Carolina’s David Wolff and Chris Doerr. Wolff won the first set 6-4 but dropped the second 6-2. In the deciding third set the freshman found himself trailing 5-2, and one game away from a South Carolina loss. Wolff battled back, winning three straight games and evening the score at five all. When the epic clash went to a tiebreaker, Wolff stepped up his game to take the final set, 7-6(3), and seal the Gamecock victory.
Doubles
No. 1 #42 Campos/Supeko (USC) def Bjelica/Kuznetsov (MSU), 9-8(4)
No. 2 Benchetrit/Frayssinoux (MSU) def Cressoni/Rodrigues (USC), 9-7
No. 3 Stoddard/Veeder (USC) def Doerr/Necajevs (MSU), 8-5
Order of Finish 3, 2, 1
Singles
No. 1 #38 Ivan Bjelica (MSU) def Pedro Rodrigues (USC), 6-3, 6-3
No. 2 Philippe Frayssinoux (MSU) def Pedro Campos (USC), 7-5, 6-4
No. 3 # 58 Yevgeny Supeko (USC) def Artem Kuznetsov (MSU), 6-3, 6-1
No. 4 Ivan Cressoni (USC) def Edouard Benchetrit (MSU), 7-6(4), 7-6 (3)
No. 5 David Wolff (USC) vs Chris Doerr (MSU), 6-4, 6-2, 7-6(3)
No. 6 Ryan Farlow (MSU) def Spencer Feldman, 6-3, 6-3
Order of Finish 3, 1, 2, 6, 4, 5
