Columbia, S.C. – The Arkansas men’s tennis team dropped its second match of the week on Friday, as the Razorbacks opened the conference weekend with a 5-2 loss to the South Carolina Gamecocks.
For the sixth-straight match, the Razorbacks (9-10, 2-5 SEC) set themselves back, dropping the doubles point to give the Gamecocks the early 1-0 lead. Arkansas held the early advantage as Oscar Mesquida and Adam Sanjurjo led Gabriel Friedrich and Thomas Mayronne 3-2 on court one, while brothers Pedro and Jose Alonso led Paul Jubb and Wood Benton 3-2 on court three. Mesquida and Sanjurjo would go on to claim the top doubles spot 6-3, but not before South Carolina grabbed the second court, as Yancy Dennis and Harrison O’Keefe defeated Jose Salazar and Alex Reco 6-3. It would come down to court three, where the Alonso’s would fall 7-6 (7-0) to give the doubles point to USC.
In singles, the Gamecocks would take three straight courts in two sets to go up 4-0 and claim the win. Mesquida fell first to Jubb 6-1, 6-3, while Reco dropped second to O’Keefe 6-1, 6-2. USC would clinch the match on court three, as Arkansas freshman Josh Howard-Tripp lost Dennis 6-0, 6-4.
After the clinch, Arkansas would take two of the final three courts, as Pedro Alonso defeated Thomas Mayronne 6-1, 6-3 and No. 65 Salazar defeated No. 46 Friedrich 4-6, 7-6, 10-5 to give Salazar his team-high fifth ranked win of the season.
Between the two wins, Jose Alonso would fall to Benton at the No. 6 spot 6-4, 6-1.
The Razorbacks close out the road trip with a match in Gainesville, Florida, on Sunday, as Arkansas takes on the No. 9 Florida Gators at 11 a.m. CT.
South Carolina 5, Arkansas 2
Singles Results – Order of finish (2,4,3,5,6,1)
1. #65 Jose Salazar (AR) def. #46 Gabriel Friedrich (SC) 4-6, 7-6, 10-5
2. Paul Jubb (SC) def. Oscar Mesquida (AR) 6-1, 6-3
3. Yancy Dennis (SC) def. Josh Howard-Tripp (AR) 6-0, 6-4
4. Harrison O'Keefe (SC) def. Alex Reco (AR) 6-1, 6-2
5. Pedro Alonso (AR) def. Thomas Mayronne (SC) 6-1, 6-3
6. Wood Benton (SC) def. Jose Alonso (AR) 6-4, 6-1
Doubles Results – Order of finish (2,1,3)
1. Oscar Mesquida/Adam Sanjurjo (AR) def. Gabriel Friedrich/Thomas Mayronne (SC) 6-3
2. Yancy Dennis/Harrison O'Keefe (SC) def. Jose Salazar/Alex Reco (AR) 6-3
3.Paul Jubb/Wood Benton (SC) def. Pedro Alonso/Jose Alonso (AR) 7-6 (7-0)
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