KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The LSU men’s tennis team’s run in the main draw of the SEC Indoor Championships came to end on Saturday, but the Tigers are still alive in the back draws after posting four victories in the consolation rounds to close out day two of the four-day single-flight tournament.
Junior Neal Skupski opened the day with a 6-1, 6-4 win over Florida’s Andrew Butz in the singles round of 32, but he was unable to hold his momentum, falling to 13th-ranked Javier Garrapiz of Georgia 6-2, 6-0 to end his run in the main draw.
Skupski wasn’t finished though. He teamed up with doubles partner Sebastian Carlsson in the consolation doubles bracket where the duo took down the Mississippi State pair of Antonio Lastre and Max Gregor, 8-4.
LSU’s second doubles team, comprised of senior Julien Gautheir and sophomore Stefan Szacinski, also advanced in the back draw after a tight 8-6 win over Alabama’s Trey Walston and Carlos Taborga.
In the singles consolation bracket both Carlsson and Szacinski claimed spots in round of 16 with straight-set wins. Carlsson knocked off Mississippi State’s Tanner Stump 6-4, 6-0, and Szacinski tallied a 7-6, 6-1 victory over Bryan Swartz of host Tennessee.
“The guys that didn’t play as well as they would have liked to yesterday really competed hard today and got some big wins,” LSU assistant coach Danny Bryan said. “We are looking forward to coming out tomorrow and playing some more quality matches to finish out the tournament.”
The Tigers will take the court again tomorrow morning at 8 a.m. CDT in singles action with doubles play to follow later in the day.
SEC Indoor Championships
Jan. 14-17
Goodfriend Indoor Tennis Center
Knoxville, Tenn.
Singles Results:
Main Draw Round of 32
Neal Skupski (LSU) def. Andrew Butz (UF), 6-1, 6-4
#28 Sekou Bangoura Jr. (UF) def. Julien Gauthier (LSU), 6-1, 6-0
Main Draw Round of 16
#13 Javier Garrapiz (UGA) def. Neal Skupski (LSU), 6-2, 6-0
Consolation Draw
Sebastian Carlsson (LSU) def. Tanner Stump (MSU), 6-4, 6-0
Stefan Szacinski (LSU) def. Bryan Swartz (UT), 7-6, 6-1
Doubles Results:
Consolation Draw
#27 Sebastian Carlsson/Neal Skupski (LSU) def. Antonio Lastre/ Max Gregor (MSU), 8-4
Julien Gauthier/Stefan Szacinski (LSU) def. Trey Walston/Carlos Taborga (UA), 8-6