University of South Carolina Upstate Athletics
Yale
Spartans Outlast Regionally-Ranked Yale, 6-1
3/16/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
March 16, 2010
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - After dropping three three-set matches at Yale in 2009 in the first meeting between the two schools, the USC Upstate men's tennis team felt some déjà voodoo times two on Tuesday afternoon when all six singles matches went into the third set at the USC Upstate Tennis Complex.
This time, though, the No. 68 Spartans (11-5 overall) took five of the matches to down the Bulldogs (9-5 overall), who are ranked seventh in the Northeast region, 6-1.
The Spartans took control of the match by sweeping the doubles point, as junior Marco Linconir and senior Jack Roux posted an 8-6 win over Calvin Bennett and Marc Powers at No. 2 after fighting back from a 4-3 deficit to win five of the last seven games. Seniors Renzo Airaldi and Javier Tori added an 8-6 win over Joel Samaha and Erik BlumenKranz at No. 1 to clinch the point, as Tori became the first player in school history to reach 80 career doubles wins. Sophomores Edgar Rodriguez and Ramiro Blanco added an 8-5 win over Daniel Hoffman and Connor Dawson at No. 3 doubles, giving Rodriguez 34 career doubles wins, the 14th-most in school history.
In singles play, the teams gutted through the first set, with Upstate's Tori and Roux picking up wins at No. 3 and No. 4, respectively, but Yale posted four first-set wins. The results were flip-flopped in the second set, though, as Rodriguez (No. 1), Airaldi (No. 2), Blanco (No. 5) and Linconir (No. 6) all won, forcing the decisive third set.
Yale tied the match with a win at No. 6, but from there, the Spartans took control of the rest of the third sets. Blanco was the first to complete an Upstate win, downing Dawson, 7-6 (4), 0-6, 6-2, at No. 5 and Roux followed with a 7-6 (4), 0-6, 6-2 win over Hoffman at No. 4.
Then, in one of the biggest upsets of a career that has now featured 53 wins, which is tied for fifth in school history, Airaldi posted a 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 win over John Huong, who is ranked 20th in the Northeast Region, at No. 2 singles to clinch the match. Airaldi is now tied Diego Sisth (2002-06) for fifth in school history with 53 wins.
Tori added a 6-3, 6-7 (7), 6-2 win over Bennett at No. 3 singles before Rodriguez also added one of the most impressive wins of his career, a 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4) win over Marc Powers, who is ranked fourth in the Northeast region, to wrap up the match.
Upstate will now have two days to rest before a huge Atlantic Sun Conference match against No. 49 ETSU on Friday at 2 p.m. in Johnson City, Tenn., as the Spartans will look to snap ETSU's 47-match winning streak at the Buddy Hartsell Tennis Center.
Tennis Match Results #68 USC Upstate 6, Yale 1 Singles competition 1. Edgar Rodriguez (UPSTM) def. Marc Powers (YALE) 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) 2. Renzo Airaldi (UPSTM) def. John Huong (YALE) 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 3. Javier Tori (UPSTM) def. Calvin Bennett (YALE) 6-3, 6-7 (7-9), 6-2 4. Jack Roux (UPSTM) def. Daniel Hoffman (YALE) 7-6 (7-4), 0-6, 6-2 5. Ramiro Blanco (UPSTM) def. Connor Dawson (YALE) 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 6. Joel Samaha (YALE) def. Marco Linconir (UPSTM) 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 Doubles competition 1. Renzo Airaldi/Javier Tori (UPSTM) def. Joel Samaha/ Erik BlumenKranz (YALE) 8-6 2. Jack Roux/Marco Linconir (UPSTM) def. Calvin Bennett/ Marc Powers (YALE) 8-6 3. Ramiro Blanco/Edgar Rodriguez (UPSTM) def. Daniel Hoffman/ Connor Dawson (YALE) 8-5 Match Notes: Yale 9-5; Regional ranking #7 USC Upstate 11-5; National ranking #68 Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (6,5,4,2,3,1)
