Jan. 14, 2012

LEXINGTON, Ky. – South Carolina men’s tennis continued its run in the SEC Indoor Championships, hosted by the University of Kentucky, on Saturday. While sophomore Nick Jones dropped his match in the main singles draw’s round of 16, the tandem of Ivan Machado and Thiago Pinheiro advanced to the quarterfinals in doubles. Freshman Kyle Koch added a pair of wins in the singles consolation bracket, and Chip Cox posted a singles win as well.

Jones was the lone Gamecock left in the singles main draw after his three-set win over No. 69 Bob van Overbeek in Friday’s second-round action. The road got even more difficult on Saturday as he faced the nation’s No. 5 player in Kentucky’s Eric Quigley, who collected the 6-1, 6-1 victory.

In doubles action, Machado and Pinheiro advanced when Ole Miss’ team of Joe Rogers and Adrian Froberg Skogeng withdrew. An injury to Florida’s duo of Florent Diep and Michael Alfrod has South Carolina’s tandem of Ben Barnette and Carl Eguez in the consolation quarterfinals.

In consolation singles, Koch was the star of the day. He first took out Anton Kovirigen of Vanderbilt 6-4, 6-3 before facing a neck-and-neck battle with Alabama’s David Vierya in the quarterfinals. The Gamecock freshman took an early lead with a 6-2 first set but Kovirigen stretched the second set to a tie-breaker, which he narrowly won 8-6. Koch was efficient in the third-set super tie-break and sealed the win with a 10-7 decision.

Cox captured his first win of the tournament with a solid 6-3, 6-2 decision over Ole Miss’ Adrian Froberg Skogeng in the consolation round of 16. After dropping a late service break in the first set, Cox dropped his quarterfinal match to Georgia’s Nathan Pasha 7-5, 6-4.

After bowing out of the main draw in the round of 32 to the nation’s 36th-ranked player, Machado will play in the Consolation B semifinals on Sunday after Florida’s Billy Federhofer withdrew from the tournament.

Koch will be the first Gamecock on the court on Sunday as play at the Hilary J. Boone Tennis Complex begins at 8:30 a.m.

South Carolina Results

Doubles Round of 16
Ivan Machado/Thiago Pinheiro (SC) def. Joe Rogers/Adrian Froberg Skogeng (OM) – Default

Doubles Consolation Quarterfinals
Johan Backstron/William Kallberg (OM) def. Andrew Adams/Chip Cox (SC) 9-8 (3)
Nick Jones/Kyle Koch (SC) def. Gonzalez Austin/Anton Kovirigen (VU) 8-5
Ben Barnette/Carl Eguez (SC) def. Florent Diep/Michael Alfrod (UF) – Default due to Injury

Singles Round of 16
(5) Eric Quigley (UK) def. Nick Jones (SC) 6-1, 6-1

Singles Consolation Round of 16
Kyle Koch (SC) def. Anton Kovirigen (VU) 6-4, 6-3
Chip Cox (SC) def. Adrian Froberg Skogeng (OM) 6-3, 6-2
Suresh Esuwaren (VU) def. Thiago Pinheiro (SC) 7-5, 5-7, 1-0 (9)
Ruyji Hirooka (UK) def. Ben Barnette (SC) 6-1, 6-2

Singles Consolation Quarterfinals
Koch (SC) def. David Vierya (ALA) 6-2, 6-7 (6), 1-0 (7)
Nathan Pasha (GA) def. Cox (SC) 7-5, 6-4

Singles Consolation B Quarterfinals
Ivan Machado (SC) def. Billy Federhofer (UF) – Default
(111) Alejandro Gomez (UK) def. Andrew Adams (SC) 6-1, 6-3