LSU Gold

Men's Tennis Defeats Arkansas, 5-2

by Elizabeth Stuart
SEC Tournament Bracket SEC Tournament Schedule +0
Men's Tennis Defeats Arkansas, 5-2

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Singles play lifted the LSU men’s tennis team over the Arkansas Razorbacks, 5-2, on Saturday when the Tigers closed out regular-season competition on the road at the Dills Indoor Center.
 
LSU (7-14, 3-8 SEC) lost the early doubles point, but the Tigers bounced back in singles.
 
Freshman Stefan Szacinski rolled to a straight-set victory over Bradwin Williams, 6-2, 7-5, to put the Tigers on the board with the first win of singles competition.
 
Szacinski’s was the only court to finish in straight sets, and three-set standoffs ensued on the five remaining courts.
 
Julien Gauthier was the next to claim a victory for the Tigers. After Gauthier dropped his first set, the 5-10 junior bounced back to take the match against Michael Ward, 1-6, 6-1, 6-2 on court No. 4.
 
Sebastian Carlsson poised LSU to take the match after he claimed court No. 3 for LSU with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 win over Gregoire Lehmann.
 
Arkansas threatened to bounce back after sophomore Mark Bowtell dropped his match on court No. 2 to Matthew Hogan, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1, but the Tigers persevered on the two remaining courts.
 
Junior Cody Loup dealt the final blow to Arkansas when he took court No. 6. over Taylor King, 4-6, 7-6, 6-2, to clinch the match for the Tigers.
 
After the clinch, sophomore Neal Skupski snapped a five-match skid when he defeated 65th-ranked Chris Nott, 6-7, 6-4, 7-6, and etched the final 5-2 mark for LSU.
 
“It was good to see us come back in singles after we started a little slow indoors, and this was our first indoor match all season,” LSU head coach Jeff Brown said. “The guys did a good job of staying tough and getting back to push the matches into three sets. It was a good win going into the SEC Tournament.”
 
LSU will travel to Lexington, Ky. for the 2010 SEC Tournament beginning April 22. The Tigers currently hold the fifth spot in the SEC West with Arkansas ranking sixth.
 
#55 LSU 5, #62 Arkansas 2
April 17, 2010
Fayetteville, Ark.
Dills Indoor Center
 
Singles
1. #51 Neal Skupski (LSU) def. #65 Chris Nott (ARK) 6-7, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3)
2. Matthew Hogan (ARK) def. Mark Bowtell (LSU) 3-6, 6-4, 6-1
3. Sebastian Carlsson (LSU) def. Gregoire Lehmann (ARK) 4-6, 6-3, 6-1
4. Julien Gauthier (LSU) def. Michael Ward (ARK) 1-6, 6-1, 6-2
5. Stefan Szacinski (LSU) def. Bradwin Williams (ARK) 6-2, 7-5
6. Cody Loup (LSU) def. Taylor King (ARK) 4-6, 7-6 (7-2), 6-2
 
Doubles
1. Chris Nott/Matthew Hogan (ARK) vs. #43 Sebastian Carlsson/Neal Skupski (LSU) 6-7, unfinished
2. Taylor King/Bradwin Williams (ARK) def. Mark Bowtell/Julien Gauthier (LSU) 9-7
3. Gregoire Lehmann/Michael Ward (ARK) def. Stefan Szacinski/Olivier Borsos (LSU) 8-6
 
Match Notes:
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2); Singles (5,4,3,2,6,1)