No. 3 Cavaliers Fall to No. 1 Georgia, 4-2

Story Links

Feb. 18, 2007

CHICAGO – The No. 3 Virginia men’s tennis team fell to No. 1 Georgia, 4-2, this afternoon in the semifinals of the National Team Indoor Championships. The Cavaliers fell just short of advancing to their second ever NTI final, and also suffered their first loss of the season. Virginia now stands at 8-1, while Georgia improves to 7-0.

Virginia lost the doubles point for the second time this season and for the first time in three matches at National Indoors. At the No. 2 position, the team of Houston Barrick (Brentwood, Tenn.) and Dominic Inglot (London, England) defeated Travis Helgeson and Matic Ormezel, 8-4. Georgia proceeded to win the next two doubles matches to clinch the opening point. The No. 1 doubles team in the country, John Isner and Luis Flores, downed Somdev Devvarman (Chennai, India) and Treat Huey (Alexandria, Va.) at the No. 1 position, 8-6. At the No. 3 position, Jaime Hunt and Nate Schnugg defeated the team of Marko Miklo (Bratislava, Slovakia) and Lee Singer (Laguna Niguel, Calif.), 9-7. The tightly contested doubles point was just a preview of things to come in the singles matches.

The first three completed singles matches saw Virginia even the score at two a piece. The Cavaliers were the first team all season to take a point away from the Bulldogs. At the No. 3 position, Inglot defeated No. 22 Helgeson in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4. Georgia retook the lead when No. 65 Ormezel beat Barrick at the No. 4 position, 6-4, 6-3. No. 10 Huey evened the overall team score by downing No .13 Flores, 7-6, 6-2, at the No. 2 position. Georgia went on to win the next two singles matches to clinch the victory. At the No. 5 position, Schnugg defeated Singer, 5-7, 6-3, 6-2. In a match between two of the nation’s premier players, Isner downed Devvarman, 6-7, 6-4, 6-4, to clinch the match for the Bulldogs. The only remaining singles match was abandoned.

The Cavaliers return home to face Pepperdine on Feb. 23 and Boise State on Feb. 24 at the Boyd Tinsley Courts at the Boars Head Sports Club.

No. 1 Georgia 4, No. 3 Virginia 2

Doubles:
1. No. 1 John Isner/Luis Flores (UGA) def. No. 7 Somdev Devvarman/Treat Huey (UVA) 8-6
2. Dominic Inglot/Houston Barrick (UVA) def. Matic Ormezel/Travis Helgeson (UGA) 8-4
3. Jaime Hunt/Nate Schnugg (UGA) def. Marko Miklo/Lee Singer (UVA) 9-7

Order of finish: 2,1,3

Singles:
1. No. 2 John Isner (UGA) def. No. 8 Somdev Devvarman (UVA) 6-7, 6-4, 6-4
2. No. 10 Treat Huey (UVA) def. No. 13 Luis Flores (UGA) 7-6, 6-2
3. Dominic Inglot (UVA) def. No. 22 Travis Helgeson (UGA) 6-3, 6-4
4. No. 65 Matic Ormezel (UGA) def. Houston Barrick (UVA) 6-4, 6-3
5. Nate Schnugg (UGA) def. Lee Singer (UVA) 5-7, 6-3, 6-2
6. Marko Miklo (UVA) led Jaime Hunt (UGA) 6-3, 4-6, 3-1 DNF

Order of finish: 3,4,2,5,1