March 18, 2009

COLUMBIA, S.C. – No. 19 South Carolina steps out of SEC action to host No. 18 Wake Forest Thursday at 2 p.m. at the Sam Daniel Tennis Center. The Gamecocks (12-3, 2-2 SEC) made moves in the singles and doubles rankings this week with a chance for more as the Demon Deacons boast the nation’s No. 26 singles player and the No. 1 doubles team.

South Carolina junior Diego Cubas headlines the Gamecock lineup in the No. 1 singles position and is ranked 50th in the nation this week. He is 19-6 overall this season and 8-5 in dual matches, including a win over then-No. 2 Bruno Agostinelli of Kentucky on March 8. Cubas has been just as successful in doubles action this spring as he and freshman Ivan Machado stormed up the rankings this week from No. 64 to No. 29 after knocking off a pair of then-top 30 teams in the opening weekend of SEC play. Playing in the No. 1 position for the Gamecocks, the duo is 8-4 in dual matches, including a 3-2 mark against top-40 opponents. Carolina’s No. 2 singles player, junior Pedro Campos, made his season debut in the singles rankings this week at No. 115. He is tied with Cubas for the most victories on the team with a 19-7 record, including a 10-4 mark in dual match play, which is also tied for the team lead. Campos is 3-1 in SEC matches after posting the Gamecocks’ lone win at Georgia with a straight-set victory over then-No. 60 Jamie Hunt.

Wake Forest is No. 18 in this week’s rankings with a 9-4 record and brings a four-match winning streak into Columbia on Thursday. Senior Cory Parr and junior Steven Forman top the doubles lineup for Wake Forest and are the No. 1 ranked team in the country with a 16-3 overall record, including a 9-1 mark in dual matches. The duo’s lone loss in dual-match play came in a Feb. 22 battle with the then-No. 18 duo from Wisconsin. Parr also tops the Deacs’ singles lineup with a No. 26 national ranking and a 15-6 overall record. He is 8-3 in dual matches after a loss to then-No. 15 Enrique Olivares of East Tennessee State. He is 7-5 this season against nationally-ranked opponents. Forman makes a formidable opponent in the No. 2 spot for Wake with a 6-3 dual-match record, while sophomore Jonathan Wolff, brother of South Carolina junior David Wolff, leads the team with a perfect 9-0 record in dual matches playing in the Nos. 2, 4 and 6 spots.

South Carolina holds a 24-6 edge in the all-time series with Wake Forest, although the Demon Deacons have won the last two outings. The Gamecocks are 14-2 against the Demon Deacons in Columbia, having won six of the last seven meetings on their home courts.