Nov. 7, 2014

ATHENS, Ga. – South Carolina men’s tennis freshmen Thomas Mayronne and Harrison O’Keefe continued their doubles strength and senior Thiago Pinheiro delivered another win over a ranked opponent in the first day of action at the Bulldog Scramble at Dan McGill Tennis Center at the University of Georgia. The Gamecocks played two singles and one doubles match each in the non-bracketed event with the same schedule on tap for Saturday.

Doubles Action

Doubles started the event, and the Gamecocks picked up two wins in three contests. Mayronne and O’Keefe dominated their opponents from Louisville, Van Domrongsri and Santiago Salazar, winning 8-3. Without Andrew Adams playing in the event, senior Kyle Koch teammed with Pinheiro for an 8-5 win over Felipe Jaworski and Jannis Koeke of Georgia State. It was Pinheiro’s first doubles result of the season.

Game Changer

Pinheiro is playing in his second tournament of the season and has now recorded at least one win over a ranked opponent in each. On Friday, he followed up a tough three-set loss to Georgia’s Wayne Montgomery in the morning with a gutsy 7-5, 6-1 victory over No. 118 Beck Pennington of Kentucky in the afternoon session.

Key Stat

Six of the Gamecocks’ 12 singles matches went to a third set on Friday. Longer matches have been a trend for South Carolina this fall. Including Friday’s action, 23 of 58 singles matches have been decided by a third set. The Gamecocks are 8-15 on the season in three-set outings, including Friday’s 1-5 mark.

Other Notables

• O’Keefe and Mayronne both posted singles wins on Friday. O’Keefe delivered in the clutch with a 7-5, 7-5 win over Georgia’s Andy Martinez, while Mayronne outlasted Koeke of Georgia State 6-4, 2-6, 6-4. Both suffered three-set losses in afternoon action.
• Koch faced the toughest challenges of the day, taking on a pair of ranked opponents. With a 2-2 record against ranked foes entering the event, he suffered a pair of losses on Friday.

South Carolina Results

Singles
(89) Nick Wood (GA) def. Kyle Koch (SC) 6-4, 7-5
Wayne Montgomery (GA) def. Thiago Pinheiro (SC) 6-2, 1-6, 6-3
Eric Diaz (GA) def. Andrew Schafer (SC) 4-6, 7-5, 6-3
Harrison O’Keefe (SC) def. Andy Martinez (GA) 7-5, 7-5
(50) Ben Wagland (GA) def. Sam Swank (SC) 6-4, 7-5
Thomas Mayronne (SC) Jannis Koeke (GST) 6-4, 2-6, 6-4
(40) Andrew Harris (OK) def. Koch (SC) 6-2, 6-2
Alex Ghilea (OK) def. Schafer (SC) 6-1, 3-6, 6-3
Pinheiro (SC) def. (118) Beck Pennington (UK) 7-5, 6-1
Jerry Lopez (UK) def. O’Keefe (SC) 3-6, 6-1, 6-3
William Bushamuka (UK) def. Mayronne (SC) 6-4, 6-7 (6), 6-1
Trey Yates (UK) def. Swank (SC) 7-5, 7-5

Doubles
Nick Wood/Andy Martinez (GA) def. Schafer Swank (SC) 8-2
Mayronne/O’Keefe (SC) def. Van Domrongsri/Santiago Salazar (UL) 8-3
Koch/Pinheiro (SC) def. Felipe Jaworski/Jannis Koeke (GST) 8-5