LEXINGTON, Ky. — LSU freshman men’s tennis player Peter Richman won his second-round match in convincing fashion Friday morning to advance to the third round of the Southeastern Conference Indoor Championships where he was outlasted by Georgia’s third-seeded Lesley Joseph.
“Peter showed us another level of his talent out there today,” said LSU head coach Jeff Brown. “He played a great match in his first match of the day, and then he just took his game to another level against Joseph. Joseph is one of the best players in the nation and Peter played him competitively.”
In front of a large crowd at the Hilary J. Boone Tennis Center in Lexington, Ky., Richman dropped Vanderbilt’s Lewis Smith in straight sets, 7-6(4), 6-3, to advance to the second round. With the win, Richman upped his 2000-01 season record to 11-4 and earned a chance to face Joseph in third-round action.
Joseph, the third seed in the SEC Indoor Championships, fell in the first set of the match, 6-7(8), but regained his composure to defeat Richman, 6-3, 6-4, in the final two set of the contest. With the win, Joseph advanced to the quarterfinal round of the tournament.
Also in second-round action, LSU’s 42nd-ranked Dan Kiernan was knocked off by Mississippi State’s David Ruiz, 7-6(5), 6-3. The loss dropped Kiernan’s overall singles record to 7-6 on the season.
The SEC Indoor Championships will resume on Saturday at 8 a.m. here at the Hilary J. Boone Tennis Center in Lexington, Ky.
SEC Indoor Championships
Day Two Results
Singles – Second Round
David Ruiz, MSU def. Daniel Kiernan, LSU, 7-6(5), 6-3
Peter Richman, LSU def. Lewis Smith, VU, 7-6(4), 6-3
Singles – Third Round
Lesley Joseph, UGA def. Peter Richman, LSU, 6-7(8), 6-3, 6-4
Singles Consolation – First Round
Sebastian Rutka, LSU def. Will Glenn, UGA, 6-1, 6-2
Jason Hazley, LSU def. Mike Maddox, UT, 6-3, 6-4
Ben Atkinson, USC def. Brandon Nicholoson, LSU, 6-1, 6-3
Luiz Carvalho, MSU def. Jesse Smatt, LSU, 6-2, 6-2
Singles Consolation – Second Round
Sebastian Rutka, LSU def. Rodrigo Pacheco, USC, 6-2, 1-0, ret.(inj.)
Jason Hazley, LSU def. Josh Tarkoff, VU, 6-2, 6-2