Men’s tennis defeats MTSU, Wofford at home
The South Carolina men’s tennis team finished its weekend on a high note with a Sunday sweep over No. 56 Middle Tennessee State and Wofford at the USC Field House, rebounding from a 4-2 defeat at Georgia Tech on Friday.
Both of the Gamecocks’ close victories on Sunday came down to the wire in their own respective ways. While one clincher came from a seasoned veteran who is accustomed to the pressure, the other came from a freshman that is quickly learning what that pressure feels like.
With No. 17 South Carolina and Middle Tennessee State tied 3-3 in the early match Sunday, the Gamecocks’ hopes rested with their lone player still on court, freshman Andrew Schafer.
Shortly after senior Chip Cox extended the match with a straight-set victory, Schafer prevailed with a 6-4, 6-4 triumph with all eyes on him.
Coach Josh Goffi was pleased with the composure his freshman — who is ranked 91st in the nation — showed with the match on the line.
“Middle Tennessee State came out and played well,” Goffi said. “Schafer is a grinder, though. That match came a little close at the end, but he stepped up. That’s what he does. We needed to grind through a match just like this to turn the season.”
Schafer and junior Andrew Adams were the only victors among three Gamecock duos after the same pair clinched the doubles point on Friday. Schafer improved to 7-0 in dual match singles play this season with a 6-1, 6-0 win against Wofford.
Entering the second match Sunday, senior Tsvetan Mihov had dropped three consecutive decisions in dual match singles play after a straight set defeat in the early match. A fixture in the No. 1 slot,
Mihov fell in an early hole again against Wofford’s No. 1, Rob Galloway, with a loss in the first set tiebreak.
Mihov, the No. 41 player in the nation, bounced back to nab the second set 6-2. When junior
Thiago Pinheiro finished off his opponent in straight sets to give the Gamecocks a 3-1 lead, Mihov found himself in a clinching position. Mihov gained an early advantage in the third set tiebreak and held it as he served out match point with an ace to claim the tiebreak 6-3.
Despite being the favorite in both matches, Goffi was relieved to escape Sunday with two victories.
“These were tricky matches today,” Goffi said. “There are a lot of upsets going on around the country with the new scoring format, which puts every team in the mix. We’re still adapting to that. So, we’re not necessarily playing poorly. We’re just not constructing points as well as we should.”
The scoring format that Goffi referenced is part of the NCAA’s attempt to speed up matches and increase fan interest. Shorter matches are allowing lower-ranked players to hang around and spring more upsets, causing many coaches around the country to emphasize efficiency.
South Carolina (5-2) has a tough road trip looming this weekend, when they will travel to Wake Forest and North Carolina State. Goffi is hoping that Sunday’s wins spark better performances.
“We’re not firing on all cylinders,” Goffi said. “But hopefully these wins today will provide us a platform to jump off for our tough matches coming up this weekend.”