March 21, 2008

Final Stats

SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Three-set wins by Stetson's Marcus Echtler at No. 1 singles and Joey Jones at No. 3 helped it come-from-behind to down the USC Upstate men's tennis team, 4-3, on Friday afternoon at the USC Upstate Tennis Complex. The loss was the Spartans' first in Atlantic Sun Conference play as they fell to 10-5 overall and 3-1 in the A-Sun while 59th-ranked Stetson improved to 14-3 overall and 5-0 in the A-Sun.

The Spartans earned the doubles point by winning two of the three matches to take an early 1-0 lead. At No. 3 doubles, sophomore Renzo Airaldi (Lima, Peru/Domingo Faustino Sarmiento) and sophomore Javier Tori (Lima, Peru/Markham College) beat Joey Jones and Hicham Laalej, 8-2. Junior Sandy Franz (Duesseldorf, Germany/Berufskolleg Hilden) and sophomore Jack Roux (Santiago, Chile/Subercaseaux) clinched the point with an 8-3 win over Serguei Boulanov and Gokay Celik at No. 3 slot.

The Spartans continued to use momentum as singles play started with four first-set wins for Upstate. However, Stetson picked up the first singles win at No. 4 singles, but Upstate took a 3-1 lead soon after as sophomore Arnaldo Lovera (Caracas, Venezuela) posted a 6-2, 6-3 win over Celik at No. 6 and Tori added a 6-4, 6-2 win over Serguei Boulanov at No. 5 singles.

However, the Spartans couldn't clinch the match, losing three heartbreakers at No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 singles to close out the match. At No. 2 singles, Roux fell to Laalej in a 12-game first set and a tiebreaker in the second set. Airaldi controlled the first set before falling in the second and third at No. 3 and Echtler closed the match by coming back to win a second-set tiebreaker and take the third set 6-3 at No. 1 singles against Franz.

Upstate heads back onto the courts looking to stop its two-match skid when it faces Florida Gulf Coast on Saturday at 10 a.m. in a match that will also feature the Upstate and FGCU women as well at the USC Upstate Tennis Complex.

Men's Tennis Results
#59 Stetson 4, USC Upstate 3
 Singles competition
1. Marcus Echtler (STET) def. Sandy Franz (UPST) 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (7-5), 6-3
2. Hicham Laalej (STET) def. Jack Roux (UPST) 7-5, 7-6 (7-5)
3. Joey Jones (STET) def. Renzo Airaldi (UPST) 2-6, 6-2, 6-2
4. Filip Kricka (STET) def. S. Gonzales-Orbegoso (UPST) 6-2, 6-3
5. Javier Tori (UPST) def. Serguei Boulanov (STET) 6-4, 6-2
6. Arnaldo Lovera (UPST) def. Gokay Celik (STET) 6-2, 6-3
 Doubles competition 
1. Filip Kricka/Marcus Echtler (STET) def. S. Gonzales-Orbegoso/
Leandro Osorio (UPST) 8-5
2. Renzo Airaldi/Javier Tori (UPST) def. Joey Jones/Hicham
Laalej (STET) 8-2
3. Sandy Franz/Jack Roux (UPST) def. Serguei Boulanov/Gokay
Celik (STET) 8-3
Match Notes:
Stetson 14-3, 5-0; National ranking #59
USC Upstate 10-5, 3-1
T-3:28  A-79