Men’s Tennis Advances to Programs First SEC Title Match
Baton Rouge, La. – No. 24 South Carolina men’s tennis will play for the SEC Tournament title on Sunday after upsetting No. 6 Tennessee 4-2 in the semifinals on Saturday. The Gamecocks claimed the doubles point and went on to take three singles matches for the win.
Doubles Drama:
In doubles, the Gamecocks took the point in dramatic fashion. The first court to finish was Court 3 who pulled off the impossible, fighting from down 1-5 to win their match 7-5. Casey Hoole and Sean Daryabeigi completed the feat over James Newton and Filip Apltauer. The Gamecocks took a 6-5 lead on Court 1 and the Volunteers took a 6-5 lead on Court 2. At the No. 1 court, Toby Samuel and James Story took a 40-15 lead on break point but the nation’s No. 4 pair of Johannus Monday and Angel Diaz battled back to a deuce point. Samuel and Story were first to complete their point, winning at deuce for the 7-5 upset victory that clinched the doubles point.
Singles Thrills:
In singles play, the momentum shifted to Tennessee as they took first sets on four courts. The Volunteers secured wins on two courts, but the Gamecocks fought back. James Story claimed a singles point with his highest career ranked upset, defeating No. 33 Shunsuke Mitsui in a dramatic fashion. Sean Daryabeigi and Jelani Sarr also secured victories for South Carolina, with Sarr clinching the match with a three-set victory over Diaz.
Historic Win:
The win over No. 6 Tennessee is South Carolina’s second highest ranked win of the season and first top-10 win since the season opener. The Gamecocks’ trip to the title match is a program first, with the team being the lowest seed to ever make it to an SEC title match.
Upcoming Title Match:
The title match will take place on Sunday, April 21, beginning at 2:00 p.m. ET. Spectator information can be found on the tournament webpage. For those not in attendance, the match will be aired on the SEC Network and live stats can be found here.
Author: STAFF HERE Chapin
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