Men’s Tennis Doubles Team Advances To T. Rowe National Finals

Sept. 25, 1999

PIKESVILLE, Md. – Clemson’s doubles team of Josh Goffi and Darrin Knight has reached the finals of the T. Rowe Price National Intercollegiate Clay Court Championships at the Suburban Club of Baltimore County. The Tigers will meet Steve Huss and Tiago Ruffoni of Auburn in the finals on Sunday at 1:00 PM.

This is the first time Clemson has had a double teams in the Final Four of this event since 1986 when Richard Matuszewski and Brandon Walters won the championship.

Clemson has won four matches to reach the finals of the event and has lost just one set in the process. In the first round played last Thursday Goffi, a junior from Mt. Pleasant, SC and Knight, a junior from Cleveland, TN, defeated Michigan State’s Ken Kigongo and Francisco Trinidad 6-3, 6-3. The Michigan State team was ranked 12th in the nation and seeded fourth in the tournament heading into this championship.

Clemson won two matches on Friday. In the second round, Clemson defeated Ed Dus and Rodrigo Echagary of Kansas, 6-4, 6-3. In the third round Clemson defeated David Hodge and Mark Williams of Baylor, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4. The Baylor team was ranked 36th in the nation in the ITA preseason national doubles poll.

In the semifinals, Clemson defeated Pawel Gajdzik and Johannes Michalsky of Baylor, 6-4, 6-3.

Clemson at National Intercollegiate Clay Court Championships at Pikesville, MD

Clemson’s Josh Goffi and Darrin Knight Match by Match

1st round:  defeated #4 Ken Kigongo-Francisco Trinidad (Michigan State)  6-3, 6-32nd round: defeated Ed Dus and Rodrigo Echagary (Kansas)                 6-4,6-33rd round: defeated David Hodge and Mark Williams (Baylor)               5-7, 6-2, 6-4Semifinals: defeated Pawel Gajdzik and Johannes Michalsky (Baylor)       6-4, 6-3