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Boiling Springs, N.C. – The USC Upstate men's tennis team opened its 2016 season on Friday afternoon by rallying to defeat the Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs 4-3 from Webb Tennis Courts.

Upstate improves to 1-0 on the season while Gardner-Webb falls to 0-2.

"It was a slow start to singles play after losing the doubles point," said Upstate head coach Dr. Oliver Trittenwein. "The guys were able to get a second wind into the first sets, and when Jamie Yates came through to win the first set to put the team score at 1-1, everyone felt they were back in the match."

The Spartans dropped the doubles point to fall behind 1-0 after the Runnin' Bulldogs captured all three matches.

Yates, playing at number five singles, got Upstate on the board first by defeating Jonathan Walker in straight sets 6-1, 6-1. After Gardner-Webb won the number two singles match, the Spartans would win the next three to take home the match victory. Ramon Simonetti got things started for Upstate by earning a 6-4, 6-1 win over Maximilian Scholl at the number one position.

The Spartans would clinch the match over the Runnin' Bulldogs when freshmen Lenhard Haupt and Tomas Venere won their number three and six singles matches, respectively. Haupt scored a 2-6, 6-1, 6-4 victory over Yaroslav Prostakov at number three. Venere gave Upstate the match win when he won at number six singles in straight sets 7-6, 6-2 against Paul Hogan.

"It was close in the end but to have our two freshmen in Tomas and Lenny come through almost simultaneously to clinch it for the team. The guys are happy to beat Gardner-Webb after losing to them at home last year."

The season-opening win for the Spartans was their first to start a year since 2013 when they defeated Presbyterian College by an identical 4-3 score in Spartanburg.

Upstate will return to the courts on Tuesday, Feb. 2 when it travels to Clinton, S.C. to face the Blue Hose at 3 p.m.

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