March 29, 2009
OXFORD, Miss. – No. 16 South Carolina dropped a 4-0 decision at No. 2 Mississippi in SEC men’s tennis action Sunday afternoon at Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center. The Rebels had to battle for the doubles point as the final two matches on court were both in a tiebreaker, but Ole Miss swept through the Gamecocks in singles play to secure the victory.
South Carolina fought for the doubles point, looking for the early point that has kick started all 14 of the team’s victories this season. Ole Miss won the No. 3 doubles match 9-7, but both the Nos. 1 and 2 matches went to a tiebreaker. The Rebels’ top tandem of Jonas Berg and Bram ten Berge, ranked No. 2 in the country, just held off the upset bid of No. 29 Diego Cubas and Ivan Machado to give Ole Miss a 1-0 lead in the match.
In singles action, only Cubas was able to get in front with a first-set victory. The nation’s 50th-ranked player needed a late break to win the first set from No. 31 Berg 7-5, but the rest of the Gamecocks were down early. No. 115 Pedro Campos was the first to fall, as No. 34 Devin Britton scored a 6-1, 6-2 victory at No. 2 singles. Machado suffered early breaks in each of his first two sets in the No. 4 spot to fall to No. 93 ten Berge 6-3, 6-3. Ole Miss’ Otto Sauer closed out the win with a 6-2, 6-0 win over Johannes Pulsfort at No. 5.
The Gamecocks return home for a pair of SEC matches next weekend, beginning with a 2 p.m. match against No. 46 Arkansas on Fri., April 3. The Gamecocks then welcome No. 31 LSU on Sun., April 5, at 1 p.m.
No. 2 Mississippi 4, No. 16 South Carolina 0
Doubles: (Order of Finish: 3, 1)
1. (2) Jonas Berg/Bram ten Berge (OM) def. (29) Diego Cubas/Ivan Machado (SC) 9-8 (4)
2. Devin Britton/Tucker Vorster (OM) def. Pedro Campos/Ivan Cressoni (SC) 8-8 (6-2) suspended
3. Kalle Norberg/Otto Sauer (OM) def. Jaime Cuellar/Johannes Pulsforst (SC) 9-7
Singles: (Order of Finish: 2, 4. 5)
1. (50) Diego Cubas (SC) led (31) Jonas Berg (OM) 7-5, 2-2 suspended
2. (34) Devin Britton (OM) def. (115) Pedro Campos (SC) 6-1, 6-2
3. (41) Kalle Norberg (OM) led Jaime Cuellar (SC) 6-0, 4-5 suspended
4. (93) Bram ten Berge (OM) def. Ivan Machado (SC) 6-3, 6-3
5. Otto Sauer (OM) def. Johannes Pulsfort (SC) 6-2, 6-0
6. Chris Thiemann (OM) led Ivan Cressoni (SC) 6-3, 5-1 suspended
