Spartans Host Tournament to Usher in Fall Campaign
9/12/2013 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Spartanburg, S.C. – The USC Upstate men's tennis team opens its fall season this weekend when the Spartans welcome four teams from around the region to take part in the annual Upstate Fall Classic from the USC Upstate Fall Classic.
The tournament, featuring Upstate, Kennesaw State, Wofford, Presbyterian and Furman, will begin Friday, Sept. 13 and will conclude Sunday, Sept. 15. Admission to all matches is free.
Upstate will use the fall season to build on a 2013 spring season that saw the Spartans post a 10-11 overall record and a 4-4 mark inside the Atlantic Sun, which included a four-match winning streak to end the regular season. In addition, the Spartans turned in a 6-2 overall mark when playing on the courts of the USC Upstate Tennis Complex.
Excitement is high this season for the Spartans, as Upstate returns its top two individuals from a season ago. Senior Matthias Kidler (Bremen, Germany), the reigning A-Sun Player of the Year, returns for his senior season and is once again expected to be one of the top players in the conference. Kidler finished last season 15-4 overall and was a perfect 7-0 in league play from the No. 1 position. Additionally, Kidler won 11 consecutive matches at one point during the season.
Fellow senior Viktor Selander (Lidkoping, Sweden) posted a 12-6 overall record and a 4-3 mark in conference action playing primary at the No. 4 position. Selander ended last season with four consecutive wins, which included a 6-1, 6-1 victory against Florida Gulf Coast in the A-Sun Tournament. Selander and Kidler were also paired in doubles matches eight times a season ago and finished the year with a 4-4 record.
Sophomore Ramon Simonetti (Passo Fundo, Brazil) looks to build on a strong freshman season that saw him land on the A-Sun All-Freshman Team. Simonetti was 6-12 and 3-5 in conference playing primarily in the No. 4 position. Newcomers Pedro Carvalho (Lisbon, Portugal) and Rajanuir Dharni (Mumbia, India) will look to duplicate Simonetti's success from a season ago and earn a spot on the A-Sun All-Freshman Team when the duo makes their debut for the Spartans this season.
Following competition this weekend, Upstate will compete five more times during the fall season. The Spartans will take part in the Davidson Invitational (Sept. 27-28), Winthrop Invitational (Oct. 4-6), Tennessee Invitational (Oct. 10-13), ITA Regionals (Oct. 16-20) and Elon Invitational (Oct. 24-27).
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