MONTGOMERY, Ala. ? No. 16 South Alabama men’s tennis wrapped up play at the 2007 Blue-Grey National Classic with a heartbreaking 4-3 loss to No. 33 North Carolina State on Saturday. With the loss, the Jaguars fall to 13-3 on the year.
“I can’t be more proud of how our guys fought at this tournament,” assistant coach Daniel Silverstein said. “Our best tennis is yet to come.”
Unlike the 4-3 loss to Boise State on Friday, the top of the Jaguar lineup was solid against the Wolfpack. Senior Dias Doskarayev, ranked 94th, handed No. 35 Nick Cavaday his first loss of the season, 6-4, 6-0. Junior Jack Baker won in straight sets at No. 2 over James McGee, 6-2, 7-5. No. 27 sophomore Marek Sramek defeated Andrea Iriarte, 6-2, 6-3.
North Carolina State swept the bottom three positions to make the team score 3-3. Junior Robert Hodel was in a fight at No. 4 with William Noblitt as he won the first set 7-5, but dropped the final two sets 6-2, 6-2.
The Wolfpack at the top seed in doubles 8-1 the duo of Doskarayev and Nagel won 8-1 at the No. 2 position. NC State’s third seed duo defeated Baker and sophomore Craig Dunne 6-5 to win the match.
The Jaguars return home to face Northwestern and Southern Miss in Orange Beach, Ala., beginning March 23 against Northwestern at 1 p.m. USA concludes the regular season on April 15 at 11 a.m. against North Florida the Bruce David Lubel Memorial Courts.
No. 33 NC State d. No. 16 South Alabama, 4-3
Doubles
1. Cavaday/Noblitt d. No. 43 R. Hodel/M. Sramek (SA), 8-1
2. D. Doskarayev/R. Nagel (SA) d. McGee/Weinacker, 8-1
3. Welte/Zink d. J. Baker/C. Dunne (SA), 6-5
Singles
1. No. 96 D. Doskarayev (SA) d. No. 35 Cavaday, 6-4, 6-0
2. J. Baker (SA) d. McGee, 6-2, 7-5
3. No. 27 M. Sramek (SA) d. Iriarte, 6-2, 6-3
4. Noblitt d. R. Hodel (SA), 5-7, 6-2, 6-2
5. Weinacker d. R. Nagel (SA), 6-4, 7-5
6. Welte d. C. Dunne (SA), 6-3, 6-0
