ATHENS, Ga. – Two days after pulling off a comeback against No. 15 Tennessee, the 33rd-ranked Vanderbilt men’s tennis team couldn’t conjure up the same magic, falling 4-0 at the hands of 10th-ranked Georgia, Sunday in Athens.
Vanderbilt (12-6, 3-4 SEC) lost the doubles point for the fifth-consecutive match, while Georgia (12-5, 7-0 SEC) won the point for the 13th time this season.
Vandy’s threes were the first to fall, as Pen Binet and Ryan Smith lost 8-3. At No. 2, Rhys Johnson and Anton Kovrigin were serving 6-7, trying to force a tiebreak, but Georgia’s duo of Brasseaux and Pasha earned the break to win the point.
The top-ranked doubles team of Ryan Lipman and Gonzales Austin went unfinished at No. 1 against 21st-ranked Hernus Pieters and Ben Wagland.
The Commodores got off to a quick start in singles, but the Bulldogs were able to fight back taking four of six first sets.
Georgia quickly pushed its lead to three with wins at two and five. No. 13 Austin Smith knocked off No. 102 Lipman in straight-sets, 6-3, 6-2 at the No. 2 position. At five singles Pieters defeated Kovrigin 6-4, 6-0.
Vanderbilt did a good job of extending the match but Jeffery Offerdahl fell in the deciding match at No. 6. Offerdahl was ousted by Nick Wood, 6-4, 6-2.
No. 16 Gonzales Austin went unfinished at one singles against No. 25 Pasha. The two split sets and Pasha had a 4-2 advantage in the third.
Kris Yee and Johnson also went unfinished against two ranked opponents. Yee at three, fell in the first set against No. 87 Wagland and worked his way back to 6-5 in the second set. Johnson won his first set 6-4 against No. 79 Brasseaux and was trailing 5-2 when the match went unfinished.
The Commodores will continue SEC play next weekend with matches at Alabama and Auburn.
#10 Georgia 4, #33 Vanderbilt 0
Singles competition
1. #25 Nathan Pasha (UGA) vs. #16 Gonzales Austin (VU) 4-6, 6-4, 2-4, unfinished
2. #13 Austin Smith (UGA) def. #102 Ryan Lipman (VU) 6-3, 6-2
3. #87 Ben Wagland (UGA) vs. Kris Yee (VU) 4-6, 6-5, unfinished
4. #79 Garrett Brasseaux (UGA) vs. Rhys Johnson (VU) 6-4, 2-5, unfinished
5. Hernus Pieters (UGA) def. Anton Kovrigin (VU) 6-4, 6-0
6. Nick Wood (UGA) def. Jeffrey Offerdahl (VU) 6-4, 6-2
Doubles competition
1. #21 Hernus Pieters/Ben Wagland (UGA) vs. #1 Gonzales Austin/Ryan Lipman (VU) 7-6, unfinished
2. Garrett Brasseaux/Nathan Pasha (UGA) def. Rhys Johnson/Anton Kovrigin (VU) 8-6
3. Eric Diaz/Austin Smith (UGA) def. Pen Binet/Ryan Smith (VU) 8-3
Match Notes:
Vanderbilt 12-6 (3-4); National ranking #33
Georgia 12-5 (7-0); National ranking #10
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2); Singles (2,5,6)
Official: Clark Weaver T-2:53 A-471
