March 30, 2008
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Freshman Johannes Pulsfort won his singles match in a third-set tiebreaker, propelling the South Carolina men’s tennis team to its first Southeastern Conference victory of the season on Sunday, defeating No. 41 Arkansas, 4-3. Carolina improves to 9-9, with a 1-7 mark in league play, while the Razorbacks fall to 10-10, 2-6 SEC.
Arkansas took early control of the match, winning the doubles point with victories on courts one and three. Carolina’s Pedro Campos and Yevgeny Supeko lost a tough contest on court one, falling in an 8-6 decision to Arkansas’s Blake Strode and Matt Hogan. The Razorbacks secured the point with an 8-4 victory on court three. UA’s Taylor King and Chris Nott proved too strong for Carolina’s Thomas Stoddard and Johannes Pulsfort in the match.
The Gamecocks entered singles play with something to prove, as Carolina competitors won four of six opening sets. Diego Cubas gave USC its first spark on court two, winning easily in straight sets over Colin Mascall, 6-1, 6-3 to even the match at 1-1. Arkansas followed with victories at No. 5 and 6 to take a 3-1 lead, but the Gamecocks answered, winning the remaining three points to take the match.
Campos came back from one set down to take his match on court three, 3-6, 6-2, 7-5, over UA’s Matt Hogan and Supeko upset No. 90 Strode on court one, 7-6(2), 7-5(5), to even the match at 3-3. The rubber match came on court four as Pulsfort and UA’s Dmitry Lebedev battled through three hard-fought sets before Pulsfort gained the advantage and closed the 7-5, 5-7, 7-6(5), victory.
South Carolina continues SEC play when it hosts Alabama on April 4 at 2 p.m. (ET), before closing its home schedule on April 6, hosting Auburn at 1 p.m. Both matches will be played at the Sam Daniel Tennis Facility.
South Carolina 4, Arkansas 3
Doubles:
1. Strode/Hogan def. Campos/Supeko, 8-6
2. Mascal/Lebedev vs. Cubas/Cressoni, 7-5 susp.
3. King/Nott def. Stoddard/Pulsfort, 8-4
Order of finish: 3, 1
Singles:
1. Yevgeny Supeko def. No. 90 Blake Stode, 7-6(2), 7-6(5)
2. Diego Cubas def. Colin Mascal, 6-1, 6-3
3. Pedro Campos def. Matt Hogan,3-6, 6-2, 7-5
4. Johannes Pulsfort def. Dmitry Lebedev, 7-5, 5-7, 7-6(5)
5. Chris Nott def. Ivan Cressoni, 6-2, 7-5
6. Tyler Tarnasky def. David Wolff, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2
Order of finish: 2, 5, 6, 3, 1, 4
