April 16, 2008

SEC Tournament Central | South Carolina Media Notes In PDF Format

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina men’s tennis team travels to the University of Arkansas on Wednesday to compete in the 2008 SEC Men’s Tennis Championship. The four-day event begins on Thursday, April 17, and runs through Sunday, April 20. South Carolina (10-12, 1-10 SEC) earned the No. 12 seed in the tournament and will face fifth-seeded Alabama (19-8, 7-4 SEC) on Thursday at 2:30 p.m. (ET). Alabama holds a 17-13 advantage in the all-time series with the Gamecocks, including a 6-1 victory during the 2008 regular season.

South Carolina concluded the regular season with a 10-12 overall record, including a 1-10 tally in SEC play. The Gamecocks finished sixth in the SEC East Division. Sophomore Pedro Campos turned in Carolina’s most wins during the spring dual-match season, compiling a 17-5 overall record, including a team best 7-4 mark against conference opponents. Carolina’s lone victory in SEC play came against then-No. 41 Arkansas on March 30, while South Carolina also turned in strong non-conference victories over UNLV, Charlotte and Davidson.

Alabama concluded the regular season with a 19-8 overall record, including a 7-4 mark in SEC play. The Crimson Tide finished second in the West Division. Beginning with its victory over South Carolina in late March, Alabama has won five consecutive matches entering tournament play, including its most recent victory, a 4-3 win over intrastate rival Auburn. Alabama has a pair of ranked singles players in Mathieu Thibaudeau (No. 99) and Saketh Myneni (No. 120), while the doubles duo of Thibaudeau and Daniel Buikema ranks No. 15 in the most recent ITA rankings.

Thursday’s match marks the fourth time South Carolina and Alabama have played in the SEC Tournament. After joining the league in 1992, the Gamecocks’ first-ever SEC Tournament match was against the Crimson Tide. Eighth-seeded Alabama defeated No. 9 seed Carolina, 5-2. The second meeting between the two schools came in 1996, a 4-3 victory for the No. 7 Tide over No. 10 South Carolina, while Alabama also eliminated the Gamecocks from the 2007 tournament with a 4-1 win in the opening round.

Live stats will be available via www.GamecocksOnline.com, or on the tournament’s website, which can be found via the official website of Arkansas athletics, www.hogwired.com.