CLINTON, S.C. - The Presbyterian College men's tennis team came up short to Longwood in a heartbreaker at Templeton Tennis Courts on Wednesday afternoon, 4-3.
PC moves to 8-9 on the year. Longwood improves to 5-7.
The day's result hung on the final singles match of the day. William O'Connell (Nadi, Fiji) put up a battle at No. 2, edging Giorgi Khmiadashvili in the first set by a 7-6 margin. The Lancer took the final two to seal the match, however, 6-3, 6-4.
The Blue Hose captured the doubles point to go ahead heading into singles play, 1-0. Andrew Brigham (Birmingham, England) and Zachary Sprouse (Hilton Head, S.C.) led off by besting Edward Becker and Harry Kelleher, 8-3.
Rafael Berghaus (Offenbach, Germany) and O'Connell then ran their record together to 6-0 with an 8-4 top flight victory over Daniel Elston and Khmiadashvili. The victory gave the point to PC and the home side nearly swept Longwood in doubles, but Edward Snead IV (Greenwood, S.C.) and Nathan Crocker (Clinton, S.C.) fell in a battle to Nobu Tanaka and Steed Johnson, 8-7.
PC took a 2-0 lead in singles action as Sprouse dispatched Elston at the third flight, 6-3, 6-1. Longwood then grabbed its first win with a Tanaka top-flight victory over Berghaus, 6-3, 6-3. The Lancers evened the dual match at No. 5 as Crocker stumbled against Kelleher, 6-1, 6-3.
The Lancers grabbed its first lead thanks to a fourth-flight Becker victory Brigham, 6-3, 6-3.
Gonzalo Asis (Madrid, Spain) pulled PC even when he knocked off Johnson at the sixth-flight, 6-3, 7-5, but Longwood earned the win with the day's final victory.
PC returns to action on Saturday when the Blue Hose host USC Lancaster at 9:30 a.m. and Limestone at 3:30 p.m.
Singles competition
1. Nobu Tanaka (LW-M) def. BERGHAUS, Rafael (PCM) 6-3, 6-3
2. Giorgi Khmiadashvili (LW-M) def. O'CONNELL, William (PCM) 6-7, 6-3, 6-4
3. SPROUSE, Zachary (PCM) def. Daniel Elston (LW-M) 6-3, 6-1
4. Edward Becker (LW-M) def. BRIGHAM, Andrew (PCM) 6-3, 6-3
5. Harry Kelleher (LW-M) def. CROCKER, Nathan (PCM) 6-1, 6-3
6. ASIS, Gonzalo (PCM) def. Steed Johnson (LW-M) 6-3, 7-5
Doubles competition
1. BERGHAUS, Rafael/O'CONNELL, William (PCM) def. Daniel Elston/Giorgi Khmiadashvili (LW-M) 8-4
2. BRIGHAM, Andrew/SPROUSE, Zachary (PCM) def. Edward Becker/Harry Kelleher (LW-M) 8-3
3. Nobu Tanaka/Steed Johnson (LW-M) def. SNEAD, Edward/CROCKER, Nathan (PCM) 8-7
