Tennessee tennis fell to South Carolina on Thursday night, losing 4-3 in Columbia, South Carolina.
The No. 18 Vols (16-6, 7-4 SEC) seven-game win streak came to an end, falling short in a match that came down to the last court. The No. 21 Gamecocks (15-6, 9-3) came to play on their home courts, sending the Vols back home with a tough loss.
Poor doubles showing
jThe Vols were decimated in doubles, losing two courts and being down big when the point was called. It was an unusual match for Tennessee, as it had won its last three doubles points.
None of the courts were notable for the Vols on Thursday afternoon, as the closest margin was 6-3. Shunsuke Mitsui and Alan Jesudason were on the losing side of that match on Court 2, as they were unable to bridge the early gap.
It kept getting worse from there, as the pair of Jose Garcia and James Newton fell 6-0 on Court 3. After a lot of rotation on Court 3 this season, Garcia and Newton seem to be the duo that’ll finish the year there for the Vols. This hasn’t been their best two matches, as they lost to Vanderbilt and now the Gamecocks in back-to-back matches.
Although they didn’t finish, Alex Kotzen and Alejandro Moreno were massacred on Court 1. They faced the No. 4 pair in the nation, facing a 5-1 deficit when the point was called. Tennessee’s No. 12 pair has been the rock of the team in doubles this season, but they still have a long way to go to beat some of the nation’s best.
Rebound in singles
Despite a poor doubles performance, hope wasn’t over for Tennessee.
Jesudason was the first to fall, losing 6-4 and 6-0 on Court 5. South Carolina took another court, this time over Alex Kotzen, to gain a 3-0 lead. Kotzen was no match for his opponent, as he fell 6-3 and 6-1 on Court 1.
Despite facing a 3-0 deficit, Tennessee quickly came roaring back.
The Vols won the next three courts to tie it up. Moreno beat his opponent 6-3 and 6-1 on Court 3 for Tennessee’s first point of the match. Shortly after, Ian Cruz notched a point, winning 6-2 and 6-3 on Court 6 to make it manageable for the Vols. Tennessee’s last point of the night came from Mitsui, winning 6-4 and 6-3 on Court 2 to tie the match back up.
Court 4 was the deciding point. Both sets were tight, but South Carolina managed to get the best of Garcia, winning 7-5 and 6-4 to seal the win.
Up next
Tennessee’s seven-game win streak came to an end with the loss. However, the Vols will get a chance to get back in the win column as they face the No. 32 Gators in Gainesville this weekend. Although Florida certainly will be a challenge, Tennessee has already seen its best opponents this season.
