Gamecocks Suffer First Loss of the Season
Chapel Hill, N.C. – No. 13 South Carolina men’s tennis suffered its first loss of the season to No. 23 North Carolina in Chapel Hill.
Doubles matches were evenly contested to start the match,with South Carolina taking the first game on all three courts. No side ever lead or trailed by more than one game in any of the three matches before the Tar Heels won 7-5 on Courts 1 and 2 to take the doubles point. Raphael Lambling and James Story led their opponent 6-5 on Court 3 when their match was suspended.
In singles, Lambling and Daniel Rodrigues were the only two Gamecocks to get points on the board. Rodrigues took his opponent out in straight sets from the No. 1 position, 6-3, 6-4.
Lambling had a more challenging three-set battle to secure his win. The junior dropped the first set 4-6 but came back to take the second set 6-3 to force a third. Lambling won the first game but Henry Lieberman of North Carolina put up back-to-back games to take the lead. Lambling then won five straight games to seal the win with a final set score of 6-2.
Three other Gamecocks forced their singles matches to third sets but were unable to complete the comeback victories. Story was tied in a third set when his match was suspended.
South Carolina will be in action next at the ITA Indoor National Championships in Seattle, Wash. The draw will be held Tuesday when the Gamecocks will find out who their first opponent will be. Matches will take place Feb. 18-21.
For all the latest South Carolina men’s tennis information, continue to follow GamecocksOnline.com or the team on social media (@GamecockMTennis).
(13) South Carolina 2, (23) North Carolina 4
Doubles (order of finish: 2, 1)
1. Cernoch/Kiger (NC) def. (7) Rodrigues/Thomson (SC) 7-5
2. Zapp/Kania (NC) def. (55) Beasley/Samuel (SC) 7-5
3. Story/Lambling (SC) lead Sigouin/Lieberman 6-5 (unfinished)
Singles (order of finish: 6, 1, 3, 4, 2)
1. (14) Rodrigues (SC) def. Sigouin (NC) 6-3, 6-4
2. (87) Cernoch (NC) def. Samuel (SC) 7-6(8), 1-6, 6-4
3. Kiger (NC) def. (97) Thomson (SC) 6-3, 4-6, 6-2
4. Lambling (SC) def. Lieberman (NC) 4-6, 6-3, 6-2
5. Story (SC) tied with Zapp (NC) 2-6, 7-5, 3-3 (unfinished)
6. Watane (NC) def. Beasley (SC) 6-2, 6-3
