Friday, February 25, 2005

NO. 32 USC AIKEN MEN DEFEAT TUSCULUM 7-2

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The No. 32 USC Aiken men's tennis team swept doubles and won four of the six singles matches to defeat host Tusculum College 7-2 Friday at the Nichols Tennis Complex. The Pacers even their record at 3-3, while the Pioneers (3-1) suffer their first setback of the season.

The No. 2 doubles pair of Fernando Guevara and Pierre Negri outlasted Tusculum's Roberto Robles and Jesse Puckerin in pro sets.

Negri was also victorious in his No. 1 singles battle with Robles, fighting back from one set down to win 2-6, 6-3, 7-6.

Puckerin and Sergio Espinosa accounted for Tusculum's two points. Puckerin defeated Carlos Huerta 6-1, 6-2 at No. 3 singles, while Espinosa knocked off Guevara 7-5, 6-2 at the No. 4 flight.

The Pioneers are back in action Saturday when they face Francis Marion University for a 2 p.m. match on the campus of Carson-Newman College in Jefferson City. The Pacers take on Carson-Newman Saturday morning beginning at 9:30 a.m.

- TC -

Singles	Scores
1 - Pierre Negri (USCA) def. Roberto Robles	2-6, 6-3, 7-6
2 - Nicolas Lombardo (USCA) def. Pedro Galavis	6-4, 6-2
3 - Jesse Puckerin (TC) def. Carlos Huerta	6-1, 6-2
4 - Sergio Espinosa (TC) def. Fernando Guevara	7-5, 6-2
5 - Fernando Blanco (USCA) def. Carlos Garcia	6-3, 6-1
6 - Nikesh Singh (USCA) def. Michael Hallford	8-4
Doubles	Scores
1 - Lombardo/Huerta (USCA) def. Garcia/Espinosa	8-3
2 - Negri/Guevara (USCA) def. Robles/Puckerin	8-5
3 - Blanco/Singh (USCA) def. Hallford/Julien Jacob	8-3
Records: USC Aiken (3-3); Tusculum (3-1)