University of Tennessee Athletics
Vols Roll Over Mississippi State 6-1
April 08, 2001 | Men's Tennis
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| Paul Podbury | ||
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"We haven’t won both matches on this trip in a decade and we are very pleased to get them this year," said Tennessee head coach Michael Fancutt. "I thought we possibly played the best match as a team since I have been here Friday against Ole Miss, and I feel we played really well again today. These two teams in Mississippi are perenially top 10 teams, so this means a lot to get these two wins."
Tennessee (14-4, 7-2 SEC) started well, winning the first two completed doubles matches to take the doubles point for the second time in as many matches. The 33rd-ranked pair of Andy Crews and Peter Handoyo gave the Vols their first victory, with an 8-3 win over David Ruiz and Mattieu Soto in the No. 3 match. The Vols Paul Podbury and Simon Rea then clinches the point for the Vols with an 8-4 win over Luiz Carvahlo and Jerome LeBelicard in the No. 2 match. In the No. 1 match, Mississippi State’s Marco Baron and Chris Mcdonald defeated the Vols 16th-ranked duo of Mark Parsons and Adam Carey 8-4.
The Vols did not let up in the singles segment, as they took the first five completed matches to polish off the Bulldogs (11-7, 5-4 SEC). The Vols first win came from senior Paul Podbury, who defeated Soto 6-0, 6-1 in the No. 4 match. The next two Vols to finish were freshmen Simon Rea and Wade Orr. Rea defeated Ruiz 6-3, 6-2 in the No. 5 match before Orr won the Vol’s clinching point, with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Max Fomine in the No. 6 match.
"I am very proud of the way our freshmen played today," Fancutt said. "Mississippi St. is usually very solid at the No. 5 and 6 positions, but Simon (Rea) and Wade (Orr) really stepped up for us today. I was also really proud of Paul (Podbury) in the way he played against Soto. Soto is a really good player and Paul played as well as I have seen him play in a while."
Tennessee juniors Peter Handoyo and Adam Carey took the last two points from the Bulldogs. The 33rd-ranked Handoyo defeated Luiz Carvahlo 7-5, 2-1 (ret.) in the No. 2 match, while the 66th-ranked Carey defeated Jerome LeBelicard 7-6(2), 6-4. Tennessee senior Mark Parsons lost his first game in his last five outings to the nation’s 7th-ranked player and national player of the month for March, Marco Baron. Baron defeated No. 46 Parsons 7-5, 7-6(4), after Parsons had three set points at 6-5 in the second set.
"I think Mark is really playing well still," Fancutt said. "He had chances to win the match, but Baron is one of the country’s best players and he was at home, so I think Mark is still playing great tennis."
Next up for the Vol netters is a match with South Carolina Friday at the Varsity Tennis Center on the UT campus starting at 2 p.m. Admission will be free.
| #7 TENNESSEE 6, #17 MISSISSIPPI STATE 1 |
| DOUBLES |
| 1. Marco Baron/Chris McDonald (MSU) def. #13 Adam Carey/Mark Parsons (UT) 8-4 |
| 2. Paul Podbury/Simona Rea (UT) def. Luiz Carvalho/Jerome LeBelicard (MSU) 8-4 |
| 3. #33 Andy Crews/Peter Handoyo (UT) def. Max Fomine/Mathieu Soto (MSU) 8-3 |
| SINGLES |
| 1. #7 Baron (MSU) def. #46 Parsons (UT) 7-5, 7-6(4) |
| 2. #38 Handoyo (UT) def. Carvalho (MSU) 7-5, 2-1, ret. |
| 3. #66 Carey (UT) def. Le Belicard (MSU) 7-6(2), 6-4 |
| 4. Podbury (UT) def. Soto (MSU) 6-0, 6-1 |
| 5. Rea (UT) def. David Ruiz (MSU) 6-3, 6-2 |
| 6. Wade Orr (UT) def. Fomine (MSU) 6-1, 6-4 |
