No. 3-Seeded LSU Rallies Past No. 6-Seeded Georgia, 4-3; Advances to SEC Semifinals
College Station, Texas – No. 28 Olaf Pieczkowski took down No. 40 Arda Azkara on the top court, 6-4, 6-2, to secure the comeback for the Tigers. No. 3-seeded LSU defeated No. 6-seeded Georgia, 4-3, in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament in College Station, Texas, at the George P. Mitchell Tennis Center.
Today’s win marks the first time since 1999 that LSU defeated Georgia, snapping a 31-match losing streak. Furthermore, the Tigers advance to 25-5, while the Bulldogs fall to 18-8.
“I’m really proud of the guys; they overcame a lot today in tough conditions,” said head coach Danny Bryan. “We got off to a really good start in doubles on court two, but we were unable to capitalize on some opportunities we had on the other two courts. Georgia really stepped up, so credit to them. I just told the guys between doubles and singles that they needed to stay calm and stay composed. As long as they trusted each other, I really did believe. Throughout the year, we’ve shown that we can win in so many ways, and again, we proved that today, taking down a top 15 team after losing the doubles point and going down 3-0. Even though we were in a good spot on a few courts at that point, we had guys really step up and beat some really good players to close it out. It is still difficult to close out matches where you are ahead, and I’m proud of them for converting.”
When asked about what it means to defeat Georgia for the first time since 1999, coach Bryan stated, “They are a great program, and we have so much respect for them. It is definitely something that we wanted, to get a win over them. I know there are a lot of former players who are very excited about this one.”
When asked about how he and the team rallied to complete the comeback today and snap the losing streak against Georgia, Pieczkowski said, “If I’m being honest, I did not realize that we were losing 3-0. I was looking at a few courts and saw that we were winning, so I was calm. Then, when I saw I could clinch the match, I kept doing what I was doing, and it happened. We lost our last match to them, so we were hyped coming into today. Our mindset was only to win, so I am really happy I could do it and be a part of LSU history.”
Erik Arutiunian and Matias Ponce de Leon took on the second spot, matching up with William Jansen and Gabriele Vulpitta. After a gritty opening game, the Tigers built on their 1-0 lead with the opening break of the set, taking a 2-0 advantage. With the pressure on the Bulldogs, Arutiunian and Ponce de Leon continued their run. After pitching another strong service game, the pair notched another break, putting them ahead 4-0. They completed their five-game run before Georgia got on the board at 5-1. LSU remained in control, closing out the match with authority at 6-1. Arutiunian and Ponce de Leon captured their first postseason win, moving their record to 17-6 and improving their win streak to three.
On court three, Pieczkowski and Enzo Kohlmann battled Derrick Chen and Noah Johnston. The match opened in a tight contest, each team moving through their service games with very little separation. At 3-3, the Tigers struck first, logging a break and looking to forge ahead. However, the Bulldogs fired right back to level it again, 4-4. From there, Chen and Johnston carried the momentum to widen the gap with a break at 5-4. The Bulldogs completed their three-game run, wrapping the match at 6-4.
The marquee court held a ranked duel between No. 14 Sasa Markovic and Andrej Loncarevic versus No. 12 Azkara and Santiago Giamichelle. Very little separated the two through the opening stages as each pair held their serves. As the match advanced, neither team could gain enough momentum to move ahead. Finally, at 4-4, the Bulldogs captured the first and only break of the match to take a 5-4 lead, before serving out the match at 6-4. LSU suffered the doubles loss, falling to a 1-0 deficit against Georgia.
No. 25 Arutiunian shared court two with No. 42 Jansen. Both players settled into the match, moving through their service games as they approached 2-2. Here, Jansen began his run, going up 3-2 before notching his first break at 4-2. With a 5-2 lead, the Bulldog earned his second break to seal the opening set, 6-2. The second set held a similar story from the outset. After a 1-1 stalemate, Jansen raced ahead with a pair of holds and another break, creating a three-game cushion at 4-1. Arutiunian broke the streak with a hold at 4-2, but it was not enough to create the energy for a comeback. Jansen logged the final two games to complete the second set, 6-2. LSU 0, Georgia 2.
Kohlmann faced off with Vulpitta at the sixth spot in a match that began with back-and-forth swings. Kohlmann fired right out of the gate with a break, following it up with a hold to go ahead 2-0. Vulpitta returned the favor, however, going on a three-game stretch to get back on serve with a 3-2 lead. Now that each player had their moment, the middle stages stayed level as the set progressed. With Vulpitta leading 5-4, he captured the decisive break on deuce point, preventing the set from continuing to go the distance as he closed it, 6-4. In the second set, the Bulldog built off his success and never looked back. He swarmed to a 3-0 advantage after tallying a break at his first opportunity. With the pressure on Kohlmann to muster a comeback, Vulpitta stayed calm with the lead. He pulled off a flawless second set, keeping his foot on the gas to take it, 6-0. LSU was down 3-0 against Georgia, a point away from being sent home.
On court three, No. 106 Loncarevic faced his doubles foe, No. 101 Giamichelle, in a chippy battle. The opening set contained multiple momentum shifts, starting with Loncarevic, who forged to a 3-0 advantage before his opponent found his footing. However, Giamichelle captured consecutive games and looked to level it, sitting at 3-2. The Tiger was able to regain his cushion, going up 4-2 with another break before backing it up with a hold at 5-2. From there, Giamichelle got another game past him before Loncarevic held steady to serve out the set, 6-3. In the next set, the Bulldog served first to go ahead 1-0. From then on, Loncarevic took full control. He notched the next three games with a pair of holds and a break, taking a commanding 3-1 lead. He continued to overwhelm his opponent, not giving him a chance to rally for the rest of the set. Loncarevic took the next three games to complete six in a row, taking the second set 6-1. His straight-sets victory earned him his 17th win on the season, pushing his winning streak to seven. Most importantly, the French native put LSU on the board, trailing Georgia, 3-1.
Moving up to the fourth spot today, Ponce de Leon controlled the tempo early against Chen. Both players took their opening service games, standing level at 1-1. Quickly kicking into high gear, the Tiger went on a three-game run to move ahead 4-1. Chen halted Ponce de Leon’s momentum momentarily, getting another game on the board at 4-2, but the Spaniard kept his foot on the gas. He left no doubt, taking the final two games, commanding his way through the opener, 6-2. Ponce de Leon carried this surge into the second set, once more breaking at 2-1 to take a 3-1 advantage. After notching three consecutive games yet again, the senior comfortably moved towards the finish line by holding serve. He maintained separation for the remainder of the set, closing it out, 6-3. Ponce de Leon did not disappoint in his higher role today, moving his record to 18-7, capturing his ninth win on court four, and pushing his win streak to five. LSU kept closing the gap, now at a 3-2 deficit against Georgia.
Making his court five debut, Alessio Vasquez squared off with Johnston in a match decided by the slightest of margins. Johnston came out firing, racing to a 3-0 lead before Vasquez could get in a rhythm. Ultimately, he eventually found his flow, getting on the board at 3-1. Vasquez hit his stride from that point on, holding his serves as well as breaking his opponent twice, completing a five-game run and looking to serve out the set at 5-3. While Johnston tacked on another at 5-4, he didn’t have the weapons to stop Vasquez from taking the first set, 6-4. Each player found their groove early in the second set, committed to holding serves and not giving their opponents anything. The middle stages of the set contained resilient holds, including a huge one by Vasquez to stay level at 3-3. The German native had his best opportunity to take the edge at 4-4. He converted, logging a crucial break after deuce point at 5-4. Now serving for the match, he stayed composed and did not give his opponent anything, closing it out 6-4. His straight sets victory marks his first on court five this season, as well as his tenth overall. LSU was all tied up with Georgia at 3-3.
No. 28 Pieczkowski stepped onto the top court like he has all season, this time against No. 40 Azkara. He got off to the hot start he was looking for, earning a break in the opening game before taking a 2-0 lead. This separation was critical, as the remainder of the set moved forward with formidable service games. Pieczkowski kept the edge down the stretch, and although Azkara gave him a run for his money, he never dropped serve as he posted a 6-4 first set. The Polish native only improved in the second set, once again taking the opening two games while maintaining his early cushion with a clutch hold at 2-0. At that point, the two traded consecutive games before Pieczkowski went up a double break at 4-1. With all eyes on the marquee court, the freshman did not flinch. He put his head down and moved forward with another hold, and although Azkara slid another game by, he stayed strong. Pieczkowski served out the second set, 6-2, to clinch the match for LSU, as they completed the comeback and defeated Georgia, 4-3. He pushed his win total to nine matches and his win streak to two, continuing to shine in his freshman season for the Tigers.
Up next
No. 3-seeded LSU will take on No. 2-seeded Mississippi State on Saturday, April 18, at 10:00 a.m. CT in the semifinals of the SEC Tournament.
Georgia vs LSU
Apr 17, 2026 at College Station, Texas
Mitchell Tennis Center
#5 LSU 4, #12 Georgia 3
Singles competition
1. #28 Olaf Pieczkowski (LSU) def. #40 Arda Azkara (UGA) 6-4, 6-2
2. #42 Will Jansen (UGA) def. #25 Erik Arutiunian (LSU) 6-2, 6-3
3. #106 Andrej Loncarevic (LSU) def. #101 Santiago Giamichelle (UGA) 6-3, 6-1
4. Matias Ponce De Leon (LSU) def. Derrick Chen (UGA) 6-2, 6-3
5. Alessio Vasquez (LSU) def. Noah Johnston (UGA) 6-4, 6-4
6. Gabriele Vulpitta (UGA) def. Enzo Kohlmann (LSU) 6-4, 6-0
Doubles competition
1. #12 Arda Azkara/Santiago Giamichelle (UGA) def. #14 Sasa Markovic/Andrej Loncarevic (LSU) 6-4
2. Erik Arutiunian/Matias Ponce De Leon (LSU) def. Will Jansen/Gabriele Vulpitta (UGA) 6-1
3. Derrick Chen/Noah Johnston (UGA) def. Enzo Kohlmann/Olaf Pieczkowski (LSU) 6-4
Match Notes:
Georgia 18-8; National ranking #12
LSU 25-5; National ranking #5
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (6,2,3,4,5,1)