April 6, 2008
ATHENS, Ga. – Vanderbilt’s 30th-ranked men’s tennis team was dealt a 7-0 loss at No. 3 Georgia on Sunday at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex.
The loss dropped Vanderbilt to 11-8 overall and 3-7 in the Southeastern Conference. With the win, Georgia clinched its third straight SEC regular season title with a 20-1 record and 10-0 mark in the league. Georgia has now won 40 straight matches against SEC opponents.
Despite being shutout for the first time this season, the score could have been much tighter. Vanderbilt nearly got a point in the No. 1 position, where No. 55 Ryan Preston came close to upsetting No. 3 Travis Helgeson of Georgia. Preston won the first set, 6-4, before losing the second set, 6-1. Since Georgia had already clinched the overall match, the third set was reduced to a 10-point tiebreaker, which Helgeson won, 10-6, to win the match.
For Preston, the win would have been his second of the season over a player currently ranked in the top five. Earlier this spring he defeated No. 4 Greg Ouellette of Florida.
Vanderbilt also had an opportunity to steal the doubles point from the Bulldogs. In the No. 2 position, VU’s Nick Cromydas and Bryant Salcedo dropped an 8-5 decision to Luis Flores and Helgeson.
The Commodores then lost another tight match in the No. 3 position, where Georgia’s Josh Varela and Christian Vitulli defeated VU’s Alex Zotov and Adam Baker, 8-5.
After dropping both matches, Preston teamed with Vijay Paul in the No. 1 position to top Georgia’s 26th-ranked doubles team of Jamie Hunt and Nate Schnugg, 8-6. The win moved the duo’s record to 3-2 overall and 2-2 in the SEC.
Following Georgia’s win in doubles play, the Bulldogs clinched the match with wins in the Nos. 5, 4 and 2 positions.
Vanderbilt will conclude its regular season schedule on April 12 at No. 37 Kentucky.
No. 3 Georgia (20-1, 10-0 SEC) def. No. 30 Vanderbilt (11-8, 3-7 SEC), 7-0
Athens, Ga.
Dan Magill Tennis Complex
Doubles
1. Ryan Preston/Vijay Paul (VU) def. No. 26 Jamie Hunt/Nate Schnugg (UGA), 8-6
2. Luis Flores/Travis Helgeson (UGA) def. Nick Cromydas/Bryant Salcedo (VU) 8-5
3. Josh Varela/Christian Vitulli (UGA) def. Alex Zotov/Adam Baker (VU), 8-5
Order of Finish: 2, 3, 1
Singles
1. No. 3 Travis Helgeson (UGA) def. No. 55 Ryan Preston (VU), 4-6, 6-1, 1-0 (10-6)
2. No. 75 Luis Flores (UGA) def. Nick Cromydas (VU), 6-3, 6-4
3. No. 11 Nate Schnugg (UGA) def. No. 106 Vijay Paul (VU), 7-5, 6-3
4. No. 36 Jamie Hunt (UGA) def. Bryant Salcedo (VU), 7-5, 6-2
5. Christian Vitulli (UGA) def. Alex Zotov (VU), 6-3, 6-3
6. Josh Varela (UGA) def. Adam Baker (VU), 6-1, 6-4
Order of Finish: 5, 4, 2, 6, 3, 1
