Clemson Wins Doubles Point, but Falls 4-3 to South Carolina in Columbia Friday

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The Clemson men’s tennis team claimed the doubles point, but the Gamecocks’ three top-125 singles players proved to be too much, as the Tigers dropped a close 4-3 decision on the road in Columbia on Friday afternoon. With the loss, Clemson dropped to 6-3 on the season, while South Carolina, receiving votes in the ITA’s most recent top-25 poll, improved to 7-1.

The Tigers’ duo of junior Pierre-Louis Dodens and freshman Jacob Jahn gave Clemson the early edge with a 6-3 win at No. 2 doubles. With the win, the pair remained undefeated on the season, improving to 4-0. Clemson freshman Teodor Giusca and junior Carlos Kelaidis clinched the doubles point with a 7-5 victory on Court 3 to give the Tigers the 1-0 lead in the team score. Junior Simon Baudry and sophomore Yizhou Liu held a 5-4 lead at No. 1 when doubles play was abandoned.

In singles play, the Gamecocks claimed wins at No. 1 and 3 to take a 2-1 lead, before Jahn evened the score at 2-2 with a 6-0, 6-4 victory at No. 6 singles. The win was the third in a row for the rookie from Mount Pleasant, S.C. South Carolina claimed wins at No. 4 and 5 singles to clinch the victory, before the match concluded with a three-set victory for Baudry at No. 2 singles, who defeated the Gamecocks’ Yancy Dennis, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.

“I am proud of our team’s effort and loved the fight we brought," said Head Coach John Boetsch. "We keep getting better each day and the consistent, focused work is paying off. We took the lead in doubles and closed it out, then kept the pressure on in three of the singles matches, and just need to be willing to throw the last punch. I love the progress these guys are making and how they are staying connected as a team.”

OF NOTE

• With the win at No. 2 doubles, Pierre-Louis Dodens and Jacob Jahn are 4-0 as a duo so far in 2019.
• Also with that win, Dodens remained undefeated in doubles play on the season, improving to 9-0 (4-0 with Jahn and 5-0 with freshman Mike Agee).
• Clemson has won the doubles point in seven of their nine matches on the season, and the team has a 6-1 record in those seven matches.
• Jahn’s win at No. 6 singles was his third in a row and third on the season, as the freshman moved to 3-1 in singles play with the victory.
• Baudry’s win at No. 6 singles brought his record to 5-2 in dual matches.
• Of South Carolina’s four singles wins over the Tigers on Friday, three were by Gamecock players ranked in the top-125 in the nation, including top singles player Paul Jubb, who is ranked 16th nationally.

UP NEXT
The Tigers remain on the road, traveling to Atlanta for a Sunday, Feb. 17 match at Georgia State. Due to Sunday’s weather forecast, the match will be played at 3:30 p.m. at Life Time Athletic (at 6350 Courtside Drive NW) in Peachtree Corners, Ga. NOTE: This is a time and location change from the original schedule, and is due to the threat of inclement weather.