Feb. 13, 2011

RALEIGH, N.C. – South Carolina dropped a 7-0 match at No. 58 NC State in men’s tennis action at the J.W. Isenhour Tennis Center Sunday afternoon. The Gamecocks battled for the doubles point to the bitter end, but came up just short. In singles action, Ivan Machado battled the nation’s No. 61 player down to the wire before a late service break in each set cost him.

The Wolfpack struck first, claiming the hotly-contested doubles point. Their top team of Dominic Hodgson and Julian Sullivan closed first with an 8-3 win over South Carolina’s Nick Jones and Alexander Kostanov. The Gamecocks’ No. 3 team of Johannes Pulsfort and Chris Sheehan leveled the match with an 8-6 win over Will Rollison and Sean Weber, leaving the point up to the No. 2 doubles matchup, which was nip and tuck throughout. Chip Cox and Ivan Machado stretched their matchup with Jaime Pulgar and Dave Thomson, but a late service break delivered the 9-7 win for the Wolfpack duo.

NC State carried that momentum right into singles action where No. 82 Hodgson scored a 6-1, 6-2 win over Jones in the No. 2 singles match. Sullivan’s 6-2, 6-3 win over Cox in the No. 4 spot finished closely behind, and Thomson sealed the win with a 6-1, 6-4 win over Kostanov in the No. 3 contest.

Playing in the No. 1 singles match, Machado battled No. 61 Jaime Pulgar throughout the first set, but a late service break cost him a 5-7 setback. Pulgar scored an early break in the second set, but Machado got it back a few games later. The Gamecock junior pushed Pulgar to the limit in the second set, but dropped it 7-5.

South Carolina returns home for their next three matches, beginning Sun., Feb. 20, against USC Upstate. SEC play kicks off on Fri., March 4, against Arkansas.

No. 58 NC State 7, South Carolina 0

Doubles (Order of Finish: 1, 3, 2)
1. Dominic Hodgson/Julian Sullivan (NCS) def. Nick Jones/Alexander Kostanov (SC) 8-3
2. Jaime Pulgar/Dave Thomson (NCS) def. Chip Cox/Ivan Machado (SC) 9-7
3. Johannes Pulsfort/Chris Sheehan (SC) def. Will Rollison/Sean Weber (NCS) 8-6

Singles (Order of Finish: 2, 4, 3)
1. (61) Jaime Pulgar (NCS) def. Ivan Machado (SC) 7-5, 7-5
2. (82) Dominic Hodgson (NCS) def. Nick Jones (SC) 6-1, 6-2
3. (106) Dave Thomson def. (NCS) Alexander Kostanov (SC) 6-1, 6-4
4. Julian Sullivan (NCS) def. Chip Cox (SC) 6-2, 6-3
5. Rafael Paez (NCS) def. Johannes Pulsfort (SC) 6-1, 6-1
6. Sanchez Gomez (NCS) def. Bowling (SC) 6-3, 6-1