No. 16 FMU Men Defeat No. 12 USC Upstate
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - The 16th-ranked Francis Marion University men's tennis team swept the doubles competition and split the singles action to take a 6-3 victory over 12th-ranked USC Upstate at the USC Upstate Tennis Complex, Saturday afternoon (March 18) in Peach Belt Conference action.
Francis Marion improves to 9-1 overall and 5-1 in the PBC. USC Upstate falls to 4-3 overall and 2-3 in the league.
Kevin Taylor and David Budler claimed an 8-3 victory over Diego Sist and Stefan Dumitrescu at No. 1 doubles. Dananjaya Mayadunne and Franklyn Emmanuel won a close match, 8-6, over Predrag Burmazovic and Leandro Osorio at No. 2 doubles. Chatwinder Singh and Matthew Keith battled Sebastian Gonzales-Orbegoso and Grocio Prado at No. 3 doubles, squeaking out a 9-8 (7) victory to give the Patriots a commanding lead heading into singles play.
In singles play, Francis Marion won the matches at the No. 2, 3, and 4 slots to take the win.
MEN TENNIS: Francis Marion 6, USC Upstate 3
Singles
#1 Diego Sist (Upstate) def. Kevin Taylor; 7-6, 4-6, 6-3
#2 David Budler (FMU) def. Stefan Dumitrescu; 6-4, 6-0
#3 Chatwinder Singh (FMU) def. Predrag Burmazovic; 6-1, 7-5
#4 Franklyn Emmanuel (FMU) def. Leandro Osorio; 6-4, 7-6
#5 Sebastian Gonzales-Orbegoso (Upstate) def. Matthew Keith; 6-2, 6-2
#6 Grocio Prado (Upstate) def. Dananjaya Mayadunne; 4-6, 6-2, 6-4
Doubles
#1 Taylor/Budler (FMU) def. Sist/Dumitrescu; 8-3
#2 Mayadunne/Emmanuel (FMU) def. Burmazovic/Osorio; 8-6
#3 Singh/Keith (FMU) def. Gonzales-Orbegoso/Prado; 9-8 (7)
RECORDS: FMU 9-1 (5-1), USC Upstate 4-3 (2-3)
11th-Ranked Spartans Down No. 13 FMU
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - USC Upstate used a key victory at No. 3 doubles to take a 2-1 lead into singles play and won four singles matches as the 11th-ranked Spartans claimed a 6-3 Peach Belt Conference victory over 13th-ranked Francis Marion University, Saturday afternoon (March 18) at the USC Upstate Tennis Complex.
USC Upstate improves to 7-2 overall and 5-1 in the Peach Belt, while Francis Marion falls to 7-4 overall and 3-3 in the league.
FMU’s Jenny Ludwig and Kamini Murugaboopathy defeated Anna Novo and Maria Herrera, 8-5, at No. 1 doubles, but USC Upstate responded when Daniela Lovera and Susana Hernandez teamed to win, 8-4, over Magda Jezovicova and Sarka Vitkova at No. 2 doubles. That set up a tough match at No. 3 doubles. Diana Martinez and Vivian Neuenschwander gave USC Upstate a 2-1 lead heading into singles action with a 9-8 (5) victory over Elizabeth Lee and Maria Covell.
In singles play, Francis Marion got wins by Ludwig at No. 2 and Sarah Hickman at No. 6, but it was not enough to rally the Patriots. Novo defeated Vitkova 6-3, 7-6 at No. 1 singles, while Hernandez defeated Murugaboopathy 7-6, 6-4 at No. 2 singles. Martinez claimed a 6-3, 2-1 (ret.) victory over Jezovicova at No. 4 singles, while Herrera won 6-3, 6-0 at the No. 5 position over Lee.
WOMEN'S TENNIS: USC Upstate 6, Francis Marion 3
Singles
#1 Anna Novo (Upstate) def. Sarka Vitkova; 6-3, 7-6
#2 Jenny Ludwig (FMU) def. Daniela Lovera; 6-2, 6-2
#3 Susana Hernandez (Upstate) def. Kamini Murugaboopathy; 7-6, 6-4
#4 Diana Martinez (Upstate) def. Magda Jezovicova; 6-3, 2-1 ret.
#5 Maria Herrera (Upstate) def. Elizabeth Lee; 6-3, 6-0
#6 Sarah Hickman (FMU) def. Vivian Neuenschwander; 0-6, 6-4, 7-6
Doubles
#1 Ludwig/Murugaboopathy (FMU) def. Novo/Herrera; 8-5
#2 Lovera/Hernandez (Upstate) def. Jezovicova/Vitkova; 8-4
#3 Martinez/Neuenschwander (Upstate) def. Lee/Covell; 9-8 (5)
RECORDS: USC Upstate 7-2 (5-1), Francis Marion 7-4 (3-3)
Men's Sports
