April 18, 2009
COLUMBIA, S.C. – No. 29 South Carolina got a win from its top doubles team this afternoon but managed little more in a 7-0 loss to No. 10 Florida in the final match of the regular season this afternoon at the Sam Daniel Tennis Center. The Gamecock duo of Diego Cubas and Ivan Machado, ranked 26th in the country, won a tie-breaker over the nation’s 14th-ranked doubles team of Antoine Benneteau and Joseph Burkhardt to close out the three doubles matches of the day. Cubas nearly knocked off the nation’s 22nd-ranked singles player as well, but fell in a third-set tie-breaker, which completed the Gators’ sweep.
South Carolina’s Nos. 1 and 3 doubles teams both went up an early break, while the No. 2 tandem of Pedro Campos and Ivan Cressoni fell behind by a break three games into the match. Florida’s No. 2 team of Jeff Dadamo and Johnny Hamui continued to collect service breaks for an 8-5 win to start things off. In the No. 3 match, senior Joe Veeder’s crisp volley on break point split the Florida duo of Alex Lacroix and Carlos Gonzalez De Cueto to get the match back on serve at 5-5. The Gators broke right back, but faced break point on their next service game as well. Florida fought off the Gamecocks’ last effort and sealed the doubles point with an 8-6 win. In the No. 1 match, the Gators got back on serve with a break to pull within 4-3, then picked up another to take their first lead at 5-4. Machado put the Gamecocks back on terms with a piercing service return on break point to level the match a 6-6. With the doubles point decided and the set tied at 7-7, the match went to a tie-breaker, in which Cubas and Machado cruised 7-1 to claim the victory.
Playing in the No. 4 singles spot, Machado could not carry the momentum against Burkhardt. After trading breaks early in the set, Burkhardt upended Machado’s serve to take a 5-3 lead and held serve to take the first set. Machado jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second set only to see Burkhardt win the next six games and the match. In the No. 6 match, Cressoni and Dadamo held serve throughout the first set and appeared destined for a tie-breaker, but the Florida sophomore broke Cressoni in the final game to take the set 6-4. Cressoni opened the second set by breaking Dadamo’s serve before suffering two service breaks down the stretch to fall 3-6.
Lacroix, ranked No. 30 in the country, sealed the match with a straight-set win over Campos in the No. 2 match. The Gamecock junior suffered a break of serve early in each set and could not rebound, falling 3-6, 2-6. With the match decided, the Gators did not let up. Hamui battled past Pulsfort 6-3, 6-0 in the No. 5 match, which featured long rallies and lengthy games throughout. In the No. 3 match, Cuellar fought through a series of service breaks to push the first set to a tie-breaker. Benneteau won the set with an 8-6 battle, then claimed the second set 6-0.
In the No. 1 match, Cubas fought off an early break of serve in the first set. Like Cressoni, the nation’s 55th-ranked player’s match appeared to be headed for a tie-breaker, but with a 5-4 lead Cubas put Cueto in a Love-40 hole in the final game. The Florida freshman fought off two break points, but Cubas finished off the game and the set 6-4. Cueto shook off the loss with a 6-2 second-set victory, sending the match to a tie-breaker. The two traded points through 6-6, at which point the No. 22 player in the country carved out the next four points for the win.
South Carolina (15-9, 3-8) heads to Auburn, Ala., this week for the SEC Tournament. Play at the Auburn University/City of Auburn Yarbrough Tennis Center begins on Thu., April 23.
No. 10 Florida 7, No. 29 South Carolina 0
Doubles: (Order of Finish: 2, 3, 1)
1. (26) Diego Cubas/Ivan Machado (SC) def. (14) Antoine Benneteau/Joseph Burkhardt (UF) 8-7 (1)
2. Jeff Dadamo/Johnny Hamui (UF) def. Pedro Campos/Ivan Cressoni (SC) 8-5
3. Alex Lacroix/Carlos Gonzalez De Cueto (UF) def. Joe Veeder/Johannes Pulsfort (SC) 8-6
Singles: (Order of Finish: 4, 6, 2, 5, 3, 1)
1. (22) Carlos Gonzalez De Cueto (UF) def. (55) Diego Cubas (SC) 4-6, 6-2, 1-0 (6)
2. (30) Alex Lacroix (UF) def. Pedro Campos (SC) 6-3, 6-2
3. Antoine Benneteau (UF) def. Jaime Cuellar (SC) 7-6 (6), 6-0
4. Joseph Burkhardt (UF) def. Ivan Machado (SC) 6-1, 6-2
5. Johnny Hamui (UF) def. Johannes Pulsfort (SC) 6-3, 6-0
6. Jeff Dadamo (UF) def. Ivan Cressoni (SC) 6-4, 6-3
