Davidson M. Tennis Nearly Pulls Off Upset Bid at No. 53 Clemson, 4-3

Saturday, January 22

Clemson, S.C.

12:00 p.m.

Davidson College Athletics

No. 53 Clemson

Photo by: Tim Cowie - DavidsonPhotos.com

Davidson M. Tennis Nearly Pulls Off Upset Bid at No. 53 Clemson, 4-3

1/22/2011 10:29:49 PM | Men's Tennis

Gavin McFarlin -- Assistant SID

Match Results

CLEMSON, S.C. — In a match that came down to the last two singles matches of the day, the Davidson men's tennis team just missed out on upsetting No. 53 Clemson as the Tigers' Wesley Moran clinched the match with a three-set win at No. 5 singles and the Wildcats fell 4-3 on Saturday afternoon at the Hoke Sloan Tennis Center.

Playing its second ranked opponent of the year in just its third match, Davidson (0-3) had a chance to clinch the match. The Wildcats got their third point from Kevin Moore (Overland Park, Kan.), who tallied a three-set winner (6-3, 3-6, 6-4) over Dominique Maden at No. 6.

Calum Gee (Ayr, Scotland) tried to seal up the win for the 'Cats, forcing a third set when he captured a second-set tie-breaker after falling in the first set, 6-2. The match went back-and-forth until Moran pulled away with a 7-5 win in the final set allowing Clemson to remain unbeaten at 4-0.

The Tigers started off the match with a clean sweep in doubles action as they calmed 8-3, 8-4 and 9-7 wins at all three positions.

Joe Schafer (Orchard Park, N.Y.) and Walker Lyons (Wallingford, Pa.) got the Wildcats on the board with their first two points after strong wins at No. 1 and 4 singles. Schafer picked up his second win of the season, earning a three-set (6-3, 4-6, 6-2) triumph over Derek DiFazio.

Lyons scored his first win of the season, and 30th of his career, when he took a 7-6, 6-1 decision over Cal Hilsman.

Davidson and Clemson were playing for the ninth time in the all-time series, with the Tigers picking up their fourth win in the series, which dates back to 1923.

Davidson returns home for it's home-opener on Saturday, Feb. 5 in a doubleheader when it host No. 69 USC-Upstate at 10 a.m. and then Gardner-Webb at 2 p.m.