SPARTANBURG, S.C.--USC Aiken's men's tennis season came to an end today in the first round of the 2004 Peach Belt Conference Tournament in Spartanburg, S.C. The eighth seeded and 33rd ranked Pacers were upset by ninth seeded Francis Marion University, 5-3. After defeating their first Peach Belt opponent this season, the 34th ranked Patriots will move on to face top seeded North Florida later today in the second round.
USC Aiken ends it season with a 13-9 overall record after compiling a 2-6 conference mark during the regular season. Francis Marion improves to 11-10 after going winless (0-8) in league play.
The Patriots grabbed an early 2-1 lead after doubles play. Kevin Taylor and Chatwinder Singh defeated USCA's Pierre Negri and
Fernando Blanco, 8-4, in the number one doubles match. FMU won the number two doubles match 8-5, but the Pacer duo of
Nicolas Lombardo and
Carlos Huerta downed Igor Prielozny and Roshun Razik, 8-3, in the number three doubles match to put USC Aiken on the board.
Francis Marion used three, straight set, singles wins to finish off the Pacers. Taylor ended
Harshit Sharma's 11-match winning streak in the number one singles match, 6-4 and 7-6 (2). Blanco and Lombardo also lost in straight sets at number four and five singles.
Negri beat Alex Cury 6-4 and 6-1 in the number three singles spot and Huerta downed Razik, 6-3 and 6-3, in the number six slot for USC Aiken's two singles points.
Francis Marion University defeats USC Aiken 5-3
Singles:
#1 Kevin Taylor (FMU) defeats
Harshit Sharma (USCA) 6-4, 7-6 (2)
#2
Fernando Guevara (USCA) vs. Chatwinder Singh (FMU) Did Not Finish
#3 Pierre Negri (USCA) defeats Alex Cury (FMU) 6-4, 6-1
#4 Dan Cordrey (FMU) defeats
Fernando Blanco (USCA) 7-5, 6-0
#5 Igor Prielozny (FMU) defeats
Nicolas Lombardo (USCA); 7-6 (5), 6-3
#6
Carlos Huerta (USCA) defeats Roshun Razik (FMU) 6-3, 6-3
Doubles:
#1 Taylor/Singh (FMU) defeats Negri/Blanco (USCA) 8-4
#2 Cury/Cordrey (FMU) defeats Sharma/Guevara (USCA) 8-5
#3 Lombardo/Huerta (USCA) defeats Prielozny/Razik (FMU) 8-3
