Men’s Tennis Defeats No. 27 Kentucky

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The No. 16 South Carolina men’s tennis team (11-5, 4-4 SEC) defeated No. 27 Kentucky (12-8, 3-5 SEC) 4-2 on Friday night, snapping its three-match losing streak and capturing its first SEC home win of the season.

The Gamecocks took the lead across the courts to open doubles play. Gabe Avram and Charlie Swaine won their match first, defeating Matt Rankin and Mikael Arsenault 6-1. The win improved the duo’s record to 3-0 this dual match season from the third position. Sean Daryabeigi and Max Stenzer quickly built a 5-2 lead on court two, while Lucas da Silva and Paul Barbier Gazeu traded sets with their opponents. Daryabiegi and Stenzer fended off a comeback attempt from Charlelie Cosnet and Martin Breysach to take their match 6-4 and clinch the doubles point. 

South Carolina split the opening sets, earning three wins and dropping three. Gazeu, Stenzer and Avram came out on top, while da Silva, Daryabeigi and Swaine fell.

The Gamecocks flipped the script in the second sets, with those who won the first dropping theirs and the others bouncing back to even things up. The match tightened as all six courts were pushed to a third set, with South Carolina holding a 1-0 lead.

Daryabeigi finished first on court two, winning his third set 6-4 to extend the lead to 2-0. Gazeu followed up with a 6-2 win in his third set after dropping the second to get the Gamecocks within one point of clinching. The Wildcats got their first point on the board with a win on court six as Mikael Arsenault defeated Charlie Swaine in a third set tie break. Kentucky continued to close the gap when Avram dropped his match on court five, coming within one of the Gamecocks.

The deciding point came down to courts four and one, where Stenzer and da Silva were both locked in tiebreaks. In each match, the Gamecocks and Wildcats traded points with neither side leading by more than one. Both tiebreaks extended past seven, with da Silva leveling his at 9-9. While da Silva fell 10-9, Stenzer surged ahead and ultimately claimed his tiebreak 8-6 to clinch the 4-2 win for the Gamecocks.

Up next, the Gamecocks hit the road for a two-match road stretch in Alabama, first facing Alabama on Friday, March 27 before facing Auburn on Sunday, March 29.

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

No. 16 South Carolina 4, No. 27 Kentucky 2

DOUBLES (order of finish: 3,2)

1. No. 8 Lucas da Silva/Paul Barbier Gazeu (SC) led No. 24 Jack Loutit/Eli Stephenson (UK) 5-4
2. No. 88 Sean Daryabeigi/Max Stenzer (SC) def. Charlelie Cosnet/Martin Breysach (UK) 6-4
3. Gabe Avram/Charlie Swaine (SC) def. Matt Rankin/Mikael Arsenault (UK) 6-1

SINGLES (order of finish: 2,3,6,5,4)

1. No. 22 Eli Stephenson (UK) led No. 5 Lucas da Silva (SC) 6-2, 4-6, 6-6 (10-9) unfinished
2. No. 57 Sean Daryabiegi (SC) def. No. 99 Nicolas Arsenault (UK) 3-6, 6-4, 6-4
3. No. 105 Paul Barbier Gazeu (SC) def. Jaden Weeks (UK) 6-4, 5-7, 6-2
4. Max Stenzer (SC) def. No. 55 Jack Loutit 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (8-6) (UK)
5. No. 89 Charlelie Cosnet (UK) def. Gabe Avram (SC) 2-6, 6-4, 6-3
6. Mikael Arsenault (UK) def. Charlie Swaine (SC) 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (7-4)