NASHVILLE, Tenn. – In their Southeastern Conference opener, the Vanderbilt men’s tennis team nearly stunned No. 22 Georgia at the Currey Tennis Center but ultimately fell 4-3 Friday.
“We played a good match and gave ourselves a chance to win,” said head coach Ian Duvenhage. “Next time we have to capitalize on the opportunity.”
Doubles duo Siim Troost and Michael Ross, along with senior Max Freeman in singles play picked up ranked wins in the Commodores’ loss as they defeated their opponents on Courts 1 and 4, respectively.
Seeing Double
- Senior duo George Harwell and Freeman dropped the doubles on Court 2 to 41st-ranked Trent Bryde and Philip Henning of Georgia.
- Troost and Ross earned their second upset win of the season after defeating No. 60 Tristan McCormick and Hamish Stewart of Georgia, 6-3.
- Coming down to Court 3, senior Marcus Ferreira and junior Joubert Klopper fell in a close set to 42nd-ranked Blake Croyder and Erik Grevelius to give the Dawgs the opening point.
Tested at Singles
- On Court 2, the Dores fell to 2-0 against Georgia with Klopper falling in two sets to No. 47 Tristan McCormick.
- Freeman put Vandy on the board after an upset win over No. 76 Blake Croyder in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3, on Court 4.
- 79th-ranked Trent Bryde claimed Court 3 over Ferreira in a hard-fought three-setter, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, halfway through the match.
- Casabon won a three-set thriller on Court 5, to make it 3-2 Georgia. After dropping the first set, 6-3, he stormed back to claim the 6-2 win in set two and force the decisive third in which he topped Thomas Paulsell of Georgia, 6-3.
- The match clincher came on the top court as Harwell fell in a heartbreaker to Stewart, who is ranked 22nd. After keeping it close in the first set, Harwell came back to win the second set tiebreaker, 7-6 (5), before Georgia claimed their fourth point of the night on the third set, 7-5.
- Troost secured the Dores’ third and final point of the match with a three-set thriller, 7-6 (4), 4-6, 7-5, on Court 6.
On Deck
Vandy is looking for their first SEC win, hitting the road to Fayetteville, Arkansas with a match against the Razorbacks 1 p.m. Sunday before returning home.
Dores Drop SEC Opener by Vanderbilt Athletics on on Exposure
