FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 4-9-07

Men's Tennis: No. 3 AASU 5, No. 9 USC Upstate 4
Women's Tennis: No. 2 AASU 9, No. 9 USC Upstate 0

SAVANNAH, Ga. - The Armstrong Atlantic State tennis teams each clinched a share of their respective 2007 Peach Belt Conference championships on Monday afternoon as the Pirates swept a dual match from visiting USC Upstate at the AASU Tennis Complex. The Lady Pirates defeated the Spartans, 9-0, while the Pirate men edged the Spartans, 5-4.

The No. 2-ranked Lady Pirates (21-0, 10-0 PBC) clinched at least a share of their fourth consecutive Peach Belt Conference regular season title and 13th overall league title by sweeping all three doubles matches, then picking up six singles wins. AASU can win the title outright on Wednesday with a win at Francis Marion.

In the men’s match, USC Upstate took a 2-1 lead after doubles, winning a tight 9-7 match at No. 1 doubles with Stefan Dumitrescu and Renzo Airaldi defeated Christian Bergh and Robert Jendelund and an 8-5 match at No. 3 doubles with Sebastian Gonzales-Orbegoso and Leandro Osorio defeating Paul Bishop and Henrik Lilja. AASU’s lone doubles point came from Taavo Roos and Davor Zink, 8-6 at No. 2 doubles over Sandy Franz and Javier Tori.

USC Upstate took singles wins at the top two spots as Dumitrescu knocked off Zink, 7-5, 6-2, at No. 1 singles and Franz defeated Bishop, 6-3, 7-6 (4), at No. 2 singles. Straight set wins by Christian Bergh and Taavo Roos, however, set up the showdown as USC Upstate led, 4-3, with two matches left on the court. Henrik Lilja defeated Airaldi, 6-3, 6-1, to tie the match at 4-all with Robert Jendelund and Sebastian Gonzales-Orbegoso battling in a three-set match. Jendelund broke Gonzales-Orbegoso at 3-2 in the third set and held serve the rest of the way for a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 win to clinch the match and a share of the Pirates’ third straight regular season Peach Belt Conference title. Like the women, AASU will have a chance to win the PBC title outright on Wednesday at Francis Marion. Match time will be at 2:00 p.m.

- Pirates –

Singles
1. Stefan Dumitrescu (UPST) def. Davor Zink (AASU) 7-5, 6-2
2. Sandy Franz (UPST) def. Paul Bishop (AASU) 6-3, 7-6 (4)
3. Christian Bergh (AASU) def. Javier Tori (UPST) 6-0, 6-4
4. Robert Jendelund (AASU) def. Sebastien Gonzales-Orbegoso (UPST) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
5. Taavo Roos (AASU) def. Jack Roux (UPST) 6-0, 6-0
6. Henrik Lilja (AASU) def. Renzo Airaldi (UPST) 6-3, 6-1 

Doubles
1. Dumitrescu/Airaldi (UPST) def. Bergh/Jendelund (AASU) 9-7
2. Roos/Zink (AASU) def. Franz/Tori (UPST) 8-6
3. Gonzales-Orbegoso/Leandro Osorio (UPST) def. Bishop/Lilja (AASU) 8-5
Records: AASU (20-3, 8-0 PBC), USC Upstate (18-3, 7-2 PBC) 

Singles
1. Iuliia Stupak (AASU) def. Anna Novo (UPST) 6-0, 6-3
2. Johanna Dahlback (AASU) def. Daniela Lovera (UPST) 6-1, 6-1
3. Dziyana Nazaruk (AASU) def. Susana Hernandez (UPST) 6-4, 7-5
4. Gabriella Kovacs (AASU) def. Diana Martinez (UPST) 6-2, 3-6, (10-2)
5. Sofia Haggstrom (AASU) def. Maria Herrera (UPST) 6-0, 6-0
6. Alisa Kakugina (AASU) def. Vivian Neuenschwander (UPST) 6-2, 6-0 

Doubles
1. Stupak/Nazaruk (AASU) def. Novo/Neuenschwander (UPST) 8-2
2. Dahlback/Martina Beckmann (AASU) def. Hernandez/Lovera (UPST) 8-6
3. Haggstrom/Kovacs (AASU) def. Martinez/Herrera (UPST) 8-2
Records: AASU (21-0, 10-0 PBC), USC Upstate (17-3, 10-1 PBC)