USC Upstate Takes a 6-1 Decision vs. Davidson M. Tennis

Saturday, February 14

Davidson, N.C.

10:00 a.m.

Davidson College Athletics

USC Upstate

Photo by: Sideline Sports

USC Upstate Takes a 6-1 Decision vs. Davidson M. Tennis

2/14/2009 6:57:11 PM | Men's Tennis

Gavin McFarlin - Assistant SID

By: contributions to story by Flaviu Simihaian, Davidson '08

Match Results

DAVIDSON, N.C. — The Davidson men's tennis team dropped a 6-1 decision to visiting USC Upstate on Saturday morning in a non-conference match at the Knobloch Indoor Tennis Center on the campus of Davidson College.

Davidson, coming off a 5-2 win on Tuesday, fell to 2-5 overall, while USC Upstate moved its winning streak to three straight, improving to 5-2 on the year.

The Wildcats got off to a slow start as they went down several breaks at the No. 2 doubles with Walker Lyons and Brandon Byrd, as well as the No. 3 spot with Eric Noble and Carter Braxton. Both teams fell by the scores of 8-2 and 8-0.

In singles play, Lyons battled Renzo Airaldi at the No. 1 position and had an opportunity to take the first set when up 5-4, but Airaldi used a few let-court winners and solid baseline strokes to win the set 7-5, and closed out the match with another close set, 6-4.

At the No. 2 singles position, Myers dropped the first set and was down 5-2 in the second, when he began a very suspenseful comeback to 5-5, where Edgar Rodriguez then needed the extra game to take the 7-5 decision.

Noble return after missing the last two matches to force the first of two three-set matches for the Wildcats. After losing the first set with a large number of unforced errors, Noble regrouped and refocused himself leading him to victories in the next two sets, 6-2, 6-1, for the Wildcats' only point on the afternoon.

Similarly, at the No. 4 spot, Gee had a great comeback to win his second set 6-2 after losing the first, 6-3, but
unfortunately came up short in the third, 6-3.

The last two Wildcats, Arie Hefter and Braxton, both of which started the first set up, with Braxton holding a 2-1 lead and Hefter up 5-4. However, a string of unforced errors led to a disappointing 7-6 loss for Hefter, which carried over in a 6-1 second set defeat.

Braxton put out a solid effort and was a break short in each set, but the Spartans' Ramiro Bianco took a 6-4, 6-4 decision.

The Wildcats will next face Richmond Friday, Feb. 27 at 3 p.m. The Spiders are coached by Billy Boykin, a previous Davidson men's tennis assistant coach and former graduate.