Feb. 5, 2011

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina Gamecocks beat the Charlotte 49ers and the Appalachian State Mountaineers in a non-conference double header Saturday in convincing fashion in by scores of 6-1 and 5-2. South Carolina took 13 out of the 18 matches on the day and was impressive in both doubles and singles play.

In the first match of the day, the Gamecocks battled to the doubles point with wins at the Nos. 1 and 3 positions. Ivan Machado and Chip Cox put South Carolina on the board in the No. 3 match, earning a break against Chris Huynh and Alex Weber to take a 5-3 lead. The duo closed the match with another service break as Machado’s return set up an easy cross-court volley for Cox on match point. The No. 2 doubles match went to Charlotte as both teams struggled to hold serve throughout the match. On Court 1, Alexander Kostanov and Nick Jones found themselves trailing 0-3 right out of the gate, but the duo rebounded in convincing fashion, winning the next six games to take a 6-3 lead in the match. Charlotte got one break back at 6-4 and was serving to stay in the match, down 7-5. The 49er tandem of Anthony Davison and Krzysztof Kwasniewicz trailed in the game, but fought back to deuce. Solid ground strokes forced a pair of missed volleys that sealed the match and the team point for the Gamecocks.

In singles play the Gamecocks kept the pressure on the 49ers with dominating wins by Machado and Cox at the No. 2 and No. 3 spots. Machado broke Moritz Bernhoerster four times in the first set to take the set 6-2 and finished the match off with a matching 6-2 second set. Cox also made quick work of his match with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Charlotte’s Anthony Davison. With this victory, Cox improves to 4-1 in singles matches for the season. The match was clinched through an impressive effort by No. 4 singles player Johannes Pulsfort. After a quick 6-2 win in the first set, Pulsfort grinded out a 6-3 second set over Charlotte senior Michael Anders to give the Gamecocks a 4-0 lead and the match victory.

Kostanov defeated Charlotte senior Charles Martin-Lecamp in an outstanding comeback effort after losing the first set 1-6. In the second set Kostanov came back to win a crucial break that put him up 4-2 in the set and eventually finished off the set 6-4. It was much of the same in the third set with Kostanov hammering big serves to win the decisive set 6-4. Gamecock sophomore Harry Menzies picked up his first singles win on the 2011 season with a swift 6-1, 6-3 victory over Alex Weber. Freshman Jake Bowling came up just short in a hard fought, 3 set decision over Victor Theoren by a score of 6-4, 1-6, 1-0(10-8).

In the second match of the day, South Carolina fought and scrapped to win two of the three doubles matches and the doubles point to start out the contest versus the Mountaineers. Bowling and Kostanov took care of business at the No. 3 doubles position with an impressive 8-4 win over Appalachian’s Ezekiel Sansing and Sebastien King. In the No. 1 position, Pulsfort and Chris Sheehan were defeated by Appalachian’s Alain Humblet and Philip Kloc in a hard fought battle of volleys by a final score of 8-4. With the pressure on for the second time on the day, Machado and Cox put South Carolina on the board, this time in the No. 2 match with a key victory over Alex Markov and Andrew McKinnon. Cox and Machado clinched the doubles point with a pivotal service break while up 8-7 to finish the Mountaineer duo off by a final score of 9-7.

In singles play, Machado got the Gamecock scoring started with an inspiring victory over Appalachian’s Humblet in the No. 1 spot. Machado held serve eight out of nine times successfully and made very quick work of a match that he controlled from the opening serve, winning 6-1, 6-2. Cox also took care of business in the No. 3 spot with a 6-2, 7-6(9-7) win over Junior Mountaineer Philip Kloc, raking in his fifth singles win of the year. Alexander Kostanov clinched the match for the Gamecocks with a scrappy three set win over Alex Markov, 6-4, 6-7(3-7), 6-2. With this win, Kostanov improves to 5-1 on the season in singles matches, which ties for the team lead with Cox.

Pulsfort kept the Gamecock momentum going with his second singles win of the day. Playing in the No. 4 spot, Pulsfort fell behind early in the first set 3-0. However, as he would do all day, Pulsfort came back to take the first set 7-5. Appalachian’s McKinnon battled for the second set and won in a tiebreak that forced a decisive third set. In the third, it was all Pulsfort, winning the frame 6-2 to bring him to victory, 7-5, 6-7(5-7), 6-2.

With today’s wins, South Carolina improves to 3-4 on the 2011season. The Gamecocks continue play next Sunday, Feb. 13 at North Carolina State. The Gamecocks will return home for matches on Feb. 20 versus USC Upstate at 2 p.m. in the South Carolina Indoor Facility.

South Carolina 6 – Charlotte 1
Doubles (Order of Finish: 3, 2, 1)
1. Alexander Kostanov/Nick Jones (SC) def. Anthony Davison/Krzysztof Kwasniewicz (CHA) 8-5
2. Mortiz Bernhoerster/Charles Martin-Lecamp (CHA) def. Johannes Pulsfort/Chris Sheehan (SC) 8-5
3. Ivan Machado/Chip Cox (SC) def. Chris Huynh/Alex Weber (CHA) 8-4

Singles (Order of Finish: 2, 3, 4, 1, 6, 5)
1. Alexander Kostanov (SC) def. Charles Martin-Lecamp (CHA) 1-6, 6-4, 6-4
2. Ivan Machado (SC) def. Moritz Bernhoerster (CHA) 6-2, 6-2
3. Chip Cox (SC) def. Anthony Davison (CHA) 6-3, 6-3
4. Johannes Pulsfort (SC) def. Michael Anders (CHA) 6-2, 6-3
5. Victor Theoren (CHA) def. Jake Bowling (SC) 4-6, 6-1, 1-0 (10-8)
6. Harry Menzies (SC) def. Alex Weber (CHA) 6-1, 6-3

South Carolina 5 – Appalachian State 2

Doubles (Order of Finish: 2, 3, 1) 1. Alain Humblet/ Philip Kloc (ASU) def. Johannes Pulsfort/ Chris Sheehan (SC) 8-4
2. Chip Cox/ Ivan Machado (SC) def. Alex Markov/ Andrew McKinnon (ASU) 9-7
3. Alexander Kostanov/ Jake Bowling (SC) def. Ezekiel Sansing/ Sebastien King (ASU) 8-4

Singles (Order of Finish: 1, 3, 2, 4, 5, 6)
1. Ivan Machado (SC) def. Alain Humblet (ASU) 6-1, 6-2
2. Alexander Kostanov (SC) def. Alex Markov (ASU) 6-4, 6-7(3-7), 6-2
3. Chip Cox (SC) def. Philip Kloc (ASU) 6-2, 7-6(9-7)
4. Johannes Pulsfort (SC) def. Andrew McKinnon (SC) 7-5, 6-7(5-7), 6-2
5. Sebastien King (ASU) def. Jake Bowling (SC) 4-6, 6-1, 6-2
6. Matt Saltsgaver (ASU) def. Harry Menzies (SC) 5-7, 7-5, 1-0(10-6)