Gamecocks Fall to No. 15 San Diego

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – No. 16 South Carolina men’s tennis came up short against the No. 15 San Diego Toreros, falling 4-1 on day one of the ITA Kickoff Weekend.

The doubles matches kicked off with intense back-and-forth action on all three courts. The Toreros’ top duo, Stian Klaassen and Oliver Tarvet, surged ahead of Connor Thomson and Casey Hoole with a three-game streak to lead 4-1. Despite a spirited effort by the Gamecocks to close the gap to 3-5, Klaassen and Tarvet secured a 6-3 victory. On court two, No. 88 Iiro Vasa and Savriyan Danilov clinched the doubles point for San Diego by outlasting Lucas da Silva and Jelani Sarr in a tight 6-4 decision.

In singles play, the Gamecocks came out swinging, claiming first-set victories on five of six courts. Atakan Karahan delivered a dominant performance, leveling the overall score at 1-1 with a commanding 6-2, 6-3 win over Adrien Berrut.

Lucas da Silva made a strong start against No. 29 Savriyan Danilov, taking the first set 6-4. However, Danilov rebounded with a flawless 6-0 second set and carried that momentum into the deciding set, eventually edging out da Silva 6-3.

Connor Thomson squared off in a three-set battle with No. 15 Oliver Tarvet. The first set was a nail-biter, with Tarvet picking up a 7-5 win. Thomson retaliated in the second, taking a 6-3 victory. In the decisive set, Tarvet rallied back, sweeping Thomson 6-0 to claim the point for San Diego.

The match-clinching victory came on court two, where Iiro Vasa outlasted Casey Hoole in three sets. Hoole raced to a 3-0 lead in the opening set and secured it 6-2. However, Vasa stormed back to take the next two sets 6-4, 6-4, sealing the win for the Toreros.

The Gamecocks will return to action in the consolation match against North Florida on Saturday, Jan. 25, at 2:00 p.m.

For the latest South Carolina men’s tennis information, continue to follow GamecocksOnline.com or the team on social media (@GamecockMTennis).

(16) South Carolina 1, (15) San Diego 4

Doubles (order of finish:1,2)

1. #1 Stian Klaassen/Oliver Tarvet (USD) def. Connor Thomson/Casey Hoole (SC) 6-3
2. #88 Iiro Vasa/Savriyan Danilov (USD) def. Lucas da Silva/Jelani Sarr (SC) 6-4
3. #72 Adrien Berrut/Blake Kasday (USD) led Max Stenzer/Atakan Karahan (SC) 6-5

Singles (order of finish:5,3,1,2)

1. #15 Oliver Tarvet (USD) def. Connor Thomson (SC) 7-5, 3-6, 6-0
2. Iiro Vasa (USD) def. Casey Hoole (SC) 2-6, 6-4, 6-4
3. #29 Savriyan Danilov (USD) def. Lucas da Silva (SC) 4-6, 6-0, 6-3
4. #55 Sean Daryabeigi (SC) led #71 Stian Klaassen (USD) 6-4, 6-7, 2-1
5. Atakan Karahan (SC) def. Adrien Berrut (USD) 6-2, 6-3
6. Neo Niedner (USD) led Gabe Avram (SC) 4-6, 6-4, 1-0