Menzies Advances to Final of Carolinas Invitational

Nov. 3, 2012

ROCK HILL, S.C. – South Carolina senior Harry Menzies won a pair of singles matches to advance to the final of the top bracket of Winthrop’s Carolinas Invitational at Memorial Courts on Saturday. He and sophomore Ben Barnette also reached the doubles final in the final tournament of the fall season.

Menzies and Barnette sailed into the doubles final with an 8-3 win over UNC Asheville’s Matt Waissen and Daniel Kripak, and Menzies carried that momentum into his singles play.

In the quarterfinals, Menzies battled UNC Greensboro’s Gaston Murray to a first-set tiebreak, which the Gamecock senior used his experience to defeat the Spartans’ freshman. Menzies went on to win the second set 6-4 to advance to the semifinals. Taking on Adrien Rossignon of Campbell, Menzies again used his experience to push through a tough match. After winning the first set 6-2, he saw Rossignon rally for a 6-3 second set. Menzies shook off the setback, picking up multiple service breaks in the third set to win 6-2.

Barnette played a pair of singles matches on Saturday as well, but could not duplicate his doubles partners’ success. The sophomore battled in the consolation quarterfinals, but came up just short in a 6-4, 6-4 loss to Campbell’s Fernando Guillen. In the resulting playoff, he fell to Danny Mack of UNC Greensboro 6-0, 6-3.

Menzies will face Georgia State’s Lucas Santa Ana, who came into the tournament with a 5-1 singles record, in the final at 10 a.m. on Sunday. Barnette will take on Artem Tarasov of Tennessee Tech in a consolation match. The two are set to open Sunday’s play with in the doubles final against Presbyterian’s William O’Connell and Andrew Brigham at 9 a.m.