Sunday, 02/21/2010

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- The 35th-ranked LSU men’s tennis team fell to No. 1 Virginia on Saturday by a 7-0 mark in the Cavaliers’ first match of a doubleheader at the Boyd Tinsley Courts.

 

The doubles point was a close race between LSU and Virginia. The Cavaliers took the first court when Sanam Singh and Lee Singer defeated LSU’s freshman duo of Stefan Szacinski and James Turbervill, 8-4, on court three.

 

The final two doubles matches on courts one and two were a fight to the finish.

 

LSU’s Neal Skupski and Roger Anderson made a run on court one that pushed their match into a tiebreaker. The Tiger tandem gave a valiant effort, but fell just short of capturing their match and fell to Michael Shabaz and Drew Courtney, 9-8 (11-9).

 

After Virginia clinched the early point, LSU duo Sebastian Carlsson and Julien Gauthier fell on court two in the second doubles tiebreaker to Jarmere Jenkins and Houston Barrick, 9-8 (7-5).

 

LSU continued to fight in singles, but the top-ranked Cavaliers proved to be too much with a heavyweight lineup of five nationally-ranked players. Virginia took each of the singles courts in straight-sets, dropping LSU’s record to 0-4 on the season.

 

The Tigers will look to end their skid on Thursday as LSU takes on UL-Lafayette and New Orleans in a doubleheader for the home opener on Feb. 25 at W.T. “Dub” Robinson Stadium. LSU will kick off action at 3 p.m. (CST), beginning with the Ragin’ Cajuns followed by their second match scheduled with the Privateers at 7 p.m.

 

“Since the start of the season, we’ve taken on some difficult teams on the road,” LSU head coach Jeff Brown said. “It’ll be great to get back home and play at the ‘Dub’ in front of our home fans. We have our heads up even though we haven’t won yet, and we are looking to turn things around this Thursday.”

 

#1 Virginia 7, #35 LSU 0

Feb. 20, 2010

Boyd Tinsley Courts

Charlottesville, Va.

 

Singles

1.       #5 Michael Shabaz (UVA) def. #50 Neal Skupski (LSU), 6-4, 6-2

2.       # 6 Sanam Singh (UVA) def. Sebastian Carlsson (LSU), 6-0, 6-2

3.       #19 Jarmere Jenkins (UVA) def. Julien Gauthier (LSU), 6-2, 7-5

4.       #15 Drew Courtney (UVA) def. Stefan Szacinski (LSU), 6-2, 6-4

5.       #72 Houston Barrick (UVA) def. Mark Bowtell (LSU), 7-6 (7-3), ret.

6.       Phillip Oudshoorn (UV A) def. James Turbervill (LSU), 7-5, 6-1

 

Doubles

1.    Michael Shabaz/Drew Courtney (UVA) def. Neal Skupski/Roger Anderson (LSU), 9-8 (11-9)

2.    Houston Barrick/Jarmere Jenkins (UVA) def. Sebastian Carlsson/Julien Gauthier (LSU), 9-8 (7-5)

3.    Sanam Singh/Lee Singer (UVA) def. Stefan Szacinski/James Turbervill (LSU), 8-4

 

Order of Finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (2,1,4,6,3,5)