Gamecocks Close SEC Road Slate with Win at Vandy
NASHVILLE, TENN. – In its final SEC road trip of the season, No. 10 South Carolina men’s tennis defeated Vanderbilt 6-1 in Nashville. The Gamecocks efficiently secured the doubles point and continued to deliver in singles, with No. 1 Daniel Rodrigues clinching the match for South Carolina.
In doubles, the Gamecocks settled in quickly and built early leads in the top two spots in the lineup. Jake Beasley and Toby Samuel brought in the first doubles win, 6-3, in the No. 2 spot. Moments later, No. 36 Daniel Rodrigues and Connor Thomson secured the doubles point for South Carolina with an efficient 6-2 win.
In singles, No. 40 Thomson got things started for South Carolina. He went up 6-4 in the first set, but started the second set at a 0-2 deficit. Thomson fought back to win six straight games and the second set 6-2 to bring in the second point for South Carolina.
No. 68 Raphael Lambling was the next to wrap up singles play. He had a commanding 6-2, 6-1 straight-sets win over Vanderbilt’s Jeremie Casabon that gave the Gamecocks the 3-0 lead and brought them one point closer to the victory.
At the top of the lineup, No. 1 Rodrigues faced No. 98 George Harwell of Vanderbilt. Rodrigues showcased his skill, clinching the match for the Gamecocks with a 6-2, 6-3 win with a crosscourt forehand that Harwell sent sailing beyond the baseline.
Play continued in the remaining spots, and South Carolina continued to bring in points. No. 70 Samuel was the next to finish and defeated Vanderbilt’s Macsen Sisam in straight sets 6-3, 6-4. This marked Samuel’s 14th consecutive win.
In the No. 5 spot, Beasley lost his first set 2-6 to Max Freeman of Vanderbilt. Unshaken, Beasley showed his Gamecock GRIT by playing a close second set that he won 7-6 (5). In the third-set super tiebreak, Beasley built upon his momentum and came out on top 1-0 (9) to earn the sixth and final point for the Gamecocks.
The Gamecocks return home to host No. 1 Florida at the Carolina Tennis Center on Fri., April 9, at 6 p.m. The Gators will be the second No. 1 team to visit Columbia this season.
For all the latest South Carolina men’s tennis information, continue to follow GamecocksOnline.com or the team on social media (@GamecockMTennis).
(10) South Carolina def. Vanderbilt 6-1
Doubles (Order of Finish: 2, 1*)
1. (36) Daniel Rodrigues / Connor Thomson (SC) def. George Harwell / Max Freeman (VU) 6-2
2. Toby Samuel / Jake Beasley (SC) def. Marcus Ferreira / Adam Sraberg (VU) 6-3
3. (80) Raphael Lambling / Phillip Jordan (SC) vs. Jeremie Casabon / Connor Robb-Wilcox (VU) 3-4 DNF
Singles (Order of Finish: 2, 3, 1*, 4, 5, 6)
1. (1) Daniel Rodrigues (SC) def. (98) George Harwell (VU) 6-2, 6-3
2. (40) Connor Thomson (SC) def. Marcus Ferreira (VU) 6-4, 6-2
3. (68) Raphael Lambling (SC) def. Jeremie Casabon (VU) 6-2, 6-1
4. (70) Toby Samuel (SC) def. Macsen Sisam (VU) 6-3, 6-4
5. Jake Beasley (SC) def. Max Freeman (VU) 2-6, 7-6 (5), 1-0 (9)
6. Joubert Klopper (VU) def. Phillip Jordan (SC) 6-3, 5-7, 1-0 (6)
