ATHENS, Ga. — The No. 20-ranked LSU men’s tennis team stumbled at the end of doubles play and struggled in singles as they fell to No. 1 Georgia, 6-1, Sunday afternoon at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex.
“I felt we competed very well today despite the loss,” LSU head coach Jeff Brown said. “We had a strong chance to win doubles and I think we proved we have the potential to get the doubles point against anybody. In singles, Georgia is a little bit more experienced, but hopefully we can improve and catch up to them towards the end of the regular season.”
The Bulldogs (11-0, 2-0 SEC) are now 41-18 all-time against the Tigers (7-2, 1-1 SEC.)
In doubles, Danny Bryan and Colt Gaston faced the top-ranked duo of Luis Flores and John Isner on court one. The Tiger tandem kept it close in the early goings by splitting the first four games, but could only manage to take one more game the rest of the way as the Georgia pair won 8-3. The loss snaps Bryan and Gaston’s 21-match winning streak.
Court two’s match was a battle of two top-10 teams with LSU’s No. 6 duo of James Cluskey and Ken Skupski and Georgia’s pair of Travis Helgeson and Matic Omerzel. The LSU pair took an early 4-1 lead and never gave in as they went on to win the match by a 8-2 decision. It is the second time this season that Cluskey and Skupski beat a team ranked in the top 10.
The doubles point would be decided by court three’s match of LSU’s Kevin Dessauer and Jan Zelezny against Georgia’s Jamie Hunt and Nate Schnugg. After splitting the first four games, the LSU duo raced out to a 7-2 lead. One game away from getting the win and the doubles point the LSU duo crumbled as Georgia captured the next seven games to get the win.
Georgia has won the doubles point in each of its 12 matches. It was only the second time LSU has lost the doubles point this season.
Cluskey was the only Tiger able to capture a win in singles, as he knocked off Ricardo Gonzales in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3.
Junior Dessauer lost his first match in dual play against Hunt, 7-5, 7-5.
Co-captain Skupski took his first set against No. 9 Flores to a tiebreaker, but he could not outlast Flores in the tiebreaker, 7-6 (3.) Skupski held his own in the second set before falling by a 6-4 decision. Skupski defeated Flores in their first meeting this season in the consolation semifinals of the ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships in November.
Bryan faced his toughest opponent of the season on court two against No. 3 Isner. Bryan could never get in a rhythm against the 6-10 junior as he lost in straight sets, 6-2, 6-1.
The Tigers will be back in action Friday when they have their SEC home opener against Kentucky at 2 p.m. at the W.T. “Dub” Robinson Tennis Stadium.
#1 Georgia 6, #20 LSU 1
March 4, 2007 at Athens, Ga.
Singles competition:
1. #9 Luis Flores (UGA) def. #24 Ken Skupski (LSU), 7-6 (3), 6-4
2. #3 John Isner (UGA) def. #62 Danny Bryan (LSU), 6-2, 6-1
3. #13 Travis Helgeson (UGA) def. Colt Gaston (LSU), 6-2, 7-5
4. #78 Jamie Hunt (UGA) def. Kevin Dessauer (LSU), 7-5, 7-5
5. #57 Nate Schnugg (UGA) def. Jan Zelezny (LSU), 6-3, 6-3
6. James Cluskey (LSU) def. Ricardo Gonzales (UGA), 6-4, 6-3
Doubles competition:
1. #1 Luis Flores/John Isner (UGA) def. #25 Danny Bryan/Colt Gaston (LSU), 8-3
2. #6 James Cluskey/Ken Skupski (LSU) def. #5 Travis Helgeson/Matic Omerzel (UGA), 8-2
3. #42 Jamie Hunt/Nate Schnugg (UGA) def. Kevin Dessauer/Jan Zelezny (LSU), 9-7
Match notes:
Order of finish: Doubles (2, 1, 3); Singles (2, 5, 6, 1, 3, 4)