No. 23 Gamecocks Top the Tigers
March 10, 2017
COLUMBIA, S.C.– The No. 23 South Carolina men’s tennis team defeated the Clemson Tigers 6-0 Friday at the Carolina Tennis Center. The Gamecocks battled for a competitive doubles point then ran through singles play, capturing the five striaght singles points. The win marks the third consecutive victory over the Tigers and ties the Palmetto Series at seven points.
South Carolina captured the doubles point when the Gamecocks’ lead pairing of Yancy Dennis and Harrison O’Keefe took two consecutive games for a 6-4 victory to clinch the point. The duo of Gabriel Friedrich and Alex Fennell on court two gave the Gamecocks their first victory, blanking the Clemson pair of Robert Dudley and Carlos Kelaidis. The Gamecocks have now taken the doubles point in 11 of their 15 matches this season.
Singles play was even better for the Gamecocks. O’Keefe, playing out of the No. 2 position, made quick work of Daffra Sanon 6-0, 6-3. After blanking his opponent in the first set, he battled early on in the second before finishing off his match. Fennell, playing on court number four, earned his 11th dual singles win of the season. After gutting it out in a 6-4 first set, the senior was dominant in the second, finishing off his Clemson counterpart Sam Edwards 6-3.
Dennis clinched the match for the Gamecocks when he defeated his opponent, Arturo Pinazo, on court five in tie break fashion. This is the second time in three matches that Dennis posted the clinching point.
O’Keefe and Friedrich both posted straight-set wins on the heels of the clinch. O’Keefe rallied from a 1-3 deficit in the first set, giving up only one of the final six games to take the set. His momentum carried into the second as he jumped out to a 3-0 lead, giving him a steady base to post a 6-3 score in the second set. Friedrich also found his momentum in the second set, posting a dominating 6-2 victory, after battling to a 7-5 final in the first set.
Quoting Coach Josh Goffi
“This win is what we needed. This team all year, after the three losses we’ve had, has been able to bounce back and get a pretty convincing win the next match we’re out. It looked like a very dominating performance today, 6-0, which is great to beat Clemson in that way at home but at the same time it’s what this team needed going into Sunday. We’re looking forward to the SEC season and to making our mark there. Florida is one of the very best teams in the SEC, the highest ranked team starting the SEC season a week ago, we’re looking forward to an opportunity there. It’s a great match to bounce back with and we’re looking forward to play Sunday.”
RESULTS
SINGLES (2, 4, 5*, 3, 1)
1. #51 Gabriel Friedrich (SC) def. Alex Favrot (CU) 7-5, 6-2
2. Harrison O’Keefe (SC) def. Daffra Sanon (CU) 6-0, 6-3
3. Andrew Schafer (SC) def. Robert Dudley (CU) 6-4, 6-3
4. Alex Fennell (SC) def. Sam Edwards (CU), 6-4, 6-3
5. Yancy Dennis (SC) def. Arturo Pinazo (CU) 6-0, 7-6(4)
6. Thomas Mayronne (SC) vs. Carolos Kelaidis (CU) 6-4, 5-4 UNF
DOUBLES (3, 1*)
1. Dennis/O’Keefe (SC) def. Favrot/Pinazo (CU) 6-4
2. Swank/Fennell (SC) vs. Edwards/Sanon (CU) UNF
3. Schafer/Friedrich (SC) vs. Dudley/Kelaidis (CU) 6-0
Up Next
The Gamecocks travel to Gainesville, Fla. to face No. 15 Florida at Linder Stadium at the Ring Tennis Complex. For more information on the South Carolina men’s tennis team visit GamecocksOnline.com or follow the Gamecocks on Twitter and Instagram at gamecocksMtennis.
