March 18, 2012
COLUMBIA, S.C. – No. 48 South Carolina (13-5) defeated Coastal Carolina (10-2) by a score of 5-2 in the Gamecocks’ final non-conference match of the season. The Gamecocks swept the doubles matches and took four of the six singles matches in their second win of the day.
South Carolina got off to a hot start as their No. 64 ranked doubles tandem of Nick Jones and Chip Cox worked to a swift 8-2 victory over Matias Di Pasquale and Yusuke Kusuda in the No. 1 spot. After a 2-2 start to the match, the Gamecocks’ top duo streaked to win the next six games and put Carolina one match away from the doubles point. The No. 3 spot pairing of freshmen Kyle Koch and Carl Eguez gave the Gamecocks the doubles point after their 8-3 win over Coastal’s veteran team of Leo Christofides and Danny Heidecker. The freshman tandem broke Coastal to go up 3-1 in the match and held serve for the rest of the match, breaking the Chants once more, before closing out the point clinching victory.
At the No. 2 spot, freshmen Andrew Adams and Thiago Pinheiro defeated John Karle and Sam Barr by a score of 8-7(7-4) to complete the doubles sweep. The two sides traded a break a piece until 7-7, when it was determined that there would be a seven-point tiebreaker. The Gamecock tandem pushed through and won the tiebreak 7-4 to finish off the match.
With the doubles point in hand, the Garnet and Black took to the singles matches to keep their momentum. Adams added to the lead in the No. 2 spot with a dominating 6-1, 6-0 defeat of Christofides. The freshman broke his opponent five out of six times and was perfect in service for the match. Eguez would man the No. 5 position, fresh off of his match clinching victory in the day’s earlier match vs. College of Charleston. The freshman kept with his solid play, beating Sam Barr 6-1, 6-1 to put the Gamecocks up 3-0.
The Chanticleers fought back with a victory at the No. 1 spot, but it was too little too late as the Gamecocks kept the foot on the gas. Chip Cox would clinch the match for Carolina in the No. 4 spot with a hard fought 7-5, 6-2 victory over Di Pasquale. After being up 3-0 in the first set, Di Pasquale rallied to even the match at three. Cox would bear down then, breaking his opponent at 6-5 to earn the first set. The second set was all Cox, cruising to a smooth 6-2 finish and giving the Gamecocks the match victory.
Freshman Ben Barnette gave the Garnet and Black their fifth point of the afternoon with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over John Karle. With the win, the Spartanburg native improved to 5-0 in dual matches for his debut season.
The Gamecocks resume SEC play this Friday, Mar. 23 vs. Mississippi at 1 pm at the Carolina Tennis Center.
No. 48 South Carolina 5, Coastal Carolina 2
Doubles (Order of Finish: 1, 3, 2)
1. (64) Nick Jones / Chip Cox def. (64) Matias Di Pasquale/Yusuke Kusuda (CCU) 8-2
2. Andrew Adams / Thiago Pinheiro (SC) def. John Karle/Sam Barr (CCU) 8-7(7-4)
3. Kyle Koch / Carl Eguez (SC) def. Leo Christofides/Danny Heidecker (CCU) 8-3
Singles (Order of Finish: 2, 5, 1, 4, 6, 3)
1. Danny Heidecker (CCU) def. Nick Jones (SC) 6-1,6-4
2. Andrew Adams (SC) def. Leo Christofides (CCU) 6-1, 6-0
3. Yusuke Kusuda (CCU) def. (117) Thiago Pinheiro 0-6, 7-6(7-1), 1-0(10-6)
4. Chip Cox (SC) def. Matias Di Pasquale (CCU) 7-5, 6-2
5. Carl Eguez (SC) def. Sam Barr (CCU) 6-1, 6-1
6. Ben Barnette (SC) def. John Karle (CCU) 6-3, 6-1
