SPARTANBURG, S.C.--USC Aiken's men's tennis team, ranked 37th in NCAA Division II, picked a good time to earn its first win of the season over a Peach Belt Conference team when the ninth seeded Pacers defeated eighth seeded Lander University, 5-0, today in the first round of the 2005 Peach Belt Conference Championships. USCA fell to top seeded and seventh ranked USC Upstate, 5-1, in the second round.

The Pacers drop into the consolation bracket where they will face fifth seeded Francis Marion University, at 11:00 a.m., on Friday. A win will put USC Aiken in the match for fifth place, which will begin at 4:30 p.m., on Friday as well. 

Against Lander in the first round, the Pacers jumped out ahead by winning the three doubles matches. Fernando Blanco and Pierre Negri defeated Carlos Benalzky and Nicolas Legros, 8-5, at number one doubles. Fernando Guevara and Carlos Huerta defeated their opponents at number three doubles, 8-0.

When singles play began USC Aiken sealed the match with two quick wins. Nicolas Lombardo lost just one game on his way to a 6-0 and 6-1 win over Nicholas Tzekos at number two singles. Huerta posted a 6-3 and 6-3 win over Benalzky at number three singles.

Against USC Upstate, the Spartans won two of the three doubles matches. Diego Sist and Ben Ureta beat Negri and Blanco, 8-2, in number one doubles. The Pacers picked up a win at number three doubles when Huerta and Guevara edged Predrag Burmazovic and Carl Hocker by a score of 9-8.

When the action turned to singles, Upstate put the match away with three wins. Sist, the 37th ranked singles player in Division II, beat Lombardo, 6-2 and 6-4, at number two singles. Jose Luis Reyes, ranked 40th, downed Huerta, 6-4 and 6-2 at number three singles. Burmazovic dispatched Guevara, 6-2 and 6-1, at number four singles.

Tennis Match Results
USC Aiken vs Lander University
Apr 14, 2005 at Spartanburg, S.C.
#37 USC Aiken 5, #31 Lander University 0

Singles competition:
1. Nicolas Legros (LANDER) vs. Pierre Negri (USCA) unfinished
2. Nicolas Lombardo (USCA) def. Nicholas Tzekos (LANDER) 6-0, 6-1
3. Carlos Huerta (USCA) def. Carlos Benalzky (LANDER) 6-3, 6-3
4. Fernando Guevara (USCA) def. Henrik Erlandsson (LANDER) unfinished
5. Andre Ivarsson (LANDER) vs. Nikesh Singh (USCA) unfinished
6. Gintas Daniusevicius (LANDER) vs. Fernando Blanco (USCA) unfinished

Doubles competition:
1. Fernando Blanco/Pierre Negri (USCA) def. Carlos Benalzky/Nicolas Legros (LANDER) 8-5
2. Nicolas Lombardo/Nikesh Singh (USCA) def. Boris Simic/Nicholas Tzekos (LANDER) 8-2
3. Fernando Guevara/Carlos Huerta (USCA) def. Akshay Chellappa/Andre Ivarsson (LANDER) 8-0

Match Notes:
USC Aiken 13-10; National ranking #37; Regional ranking #12
Lander University 3-11; National ranking #31; Regional ranking #10Tennis Match Results


USC Aiken vs USC Upstate
Apr 14, 2005 at Spartanburg, S.C.
#7 USC Upstate 5, #37 USC Aiken 1

Singles competition:
1. #5 Stefan Dumitrescu (UPSTATE) vs. Pierre Negri (USCA) unfinished
2. #37 Diego Sist (UPSTATE) def. Nicolas Lombardo (USCA) 6-2, 6-4
3. #40 Jose Luis Reyes (UPSTATE) def. Carlos Huerta (USCA) 6-4, 6-2
4. Predrag Burmazovic (UPSTATE) def. Fernando Guevara (USCA) 6-2, 6-1
5. Ben Ureta (UPSTATE) vs. Nikesh Singh (USCA) unfinished
6. Sebastian Orbegoso (UPSTATE) vs. Fernando Blanco (USCA) unfinished

Doubles competition:
1. Diego Sist/Ben Ureta (UPSTATE) def. Fernando Blanco/Pierre Negri (USCA) 8-2
2. Stefan Dumitrescu/Jose Luis Reyes (UPSTATE) def. Nicolas Lombardo/Nikesh Singh (USCA) 8-4
3. Fernando Guevara/Carlos Huerta (USCA) def. Predrag Burmazovic/Carl Hocker (UPSTATE) 9-8

Match Notes:
USC Aiken 13-11; National ranking #37; Regional ranking #12
USC Upstate 12-4; National ranking #7; Regional ranking #2
2005 Peach Belt Conference Tournament - Second Round
#9 seed USC Aiken vs. #1 seed USC Upstate