Box Score (PDF)

Spartanburg, S.C. – The USC Upstate men's tennis team dropped a 4-3 decision to Stetson in its Atlantic Sun opener Friday afternoon from the USC Upstate Tennis Complex.

Stetson jumped out to a 1-0 lead by winning the doubles point after claiming matches at the No. 1 and No. 3 positions. Cahit Kapukiran and Egor Panyushkin picked up an 8-7 victory over Rajanvir Dharni and Pedro Carvalho at the No. 3 position before Yvon Haessig and Ramon Simonetti defeated Laurynas Antropikas and Chester Espie 8-7 at No. 2. Nathan Debut and Hans Adrian Riseng clinched the point for the Hatters by turning in an 8-7 win over Matthias Kidler and Gonzalo Blanco from the No. 1 position.

Debut put Stetson ahead 2-0 after he bested Simonetti 6-2, 6-1 from the No. 1 singles position, but Blanco cut the Stetson lead in half when he posted a 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory over Kapukiran at No. 3. Panyushkin put the Hatters out in front 3-1 following his 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 win over Carlos Tajes at the No. 6 position.

Jamie Yates kept Upstate alive with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Espie at No. 4, but Graham Ball earned a 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory over Haessig at No. 5 to seal the victory for the Hatters.

Upstate returns to action Saturday at 2 p.m. when the Spartans host Florida Gulf Coast from the USC Upstate Tennis Complex.

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