Hurricanes Come Up Short Against No. 34 Georgia Tech, 5-2
April 11, 2004
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Despite sophomore Colin Purcell (Louisville, Ky.) upsetting No. 68 Jose Luis Muguruza at No. 2 singles, the 40th-ranked University of Miami men’s tennis team could push past No. 34 Georgia Tech, falling 5-2 to the future ACC rivals Sunday afternoon in Atlanta, Ga.
The Hurricanes (11-7) fell early in doubles play with teammates P.J. Passalacqua (Naples, Fla.) and John Hoyes (Miami, Fla.) dropping the No. 2 spot to the Yellow Jackets’ (15-6) Muguruza and Jason Pieters, 8-5 followed by a win by Georgia Tech’s Joao Menano and West Nott over Jeremiah Fuller (Emmaus, Pa.) and Josh Cohen (Weston, Fla.), 8-6 at No. 3 to clinch the doubles point for the Yellow Jackets.
With the doubles point decided, Miami’s tandem of Eric Hechtman (Miami, Fla.) and Purcell – playing together for only the second time this season – upset the nation’s 15th-ranked duo of Scott Schnugg and Marko Rajevac, 8-6 at No. 1.
The Hurricanes would go down 2-0 with the start of singles play when Passalacqua was forced to surrender a default win to Georgia Tech’s Rath at No. 6.
The Yellow Jackets’ Nott would down Hoyes, 6-1, 7-6 (0) at No. 2 to put Georgia Tech within one point of the match victory.
Georgia Tech’s Schnugg – ranked 46th in the nation in singles – then edged out Cohen in three sets, 6-3, 0-6, 6-4 at No. 1 to give the Yellow Jackets the match-clinching fourth point.
Menano would down Fuller, 7-5, 6-3 at No. 5 followed by Purcell – playing at No. 2 singles for the second time in his career – winning over No. 68 Muguruza, 6-2, 7-5 at No. 2.
No. 120 Hechtman would claim UM’s second point of the afternoon with a win over Pieters, 6-2, 6-4 at No. 3, improving to 6-0 this season from the No. 3 position.
The Hurricanes will return to Coral Gables April 20 to take on American University in their final match of the regular season.
No. 34 Georgia Tech 5, No. 40 Miami 2
April 11, 2004
Atlanta, Ga.
Singles,
1. No. 46 Scott Schnugg (GT) def. Josh Cohen (UM), 6-3, 0-6, 6-4
2. Colin Purcell (UM) def. No. 68 Jose Luis Muguruza (GT), 6-2, 7-5
3. No. 120 Eric Hechtman (UM) def. Jason Pieters (GT), 6-2, 6-4
4. West Nott (GT) def. John Hoyes (UM), 6-1, 7-6 (0)
5. Joao Menano (GT) def. Jeremiah Fuller (UM), 7-5, 6-3
6. Zachary Rath (GT) vs. P.J. Passalacqua (UM), (Def.)
Order of Finish: 6, 4, 1, 5, 2, 3
Doubles
1. Eric Hechtman/Colin Purcell (UM) def. No.15 Scott Schnugg/Marko Rajevac (GT), 8-6
2. Jose Muguruza/Jason Pieters (GT) def. Passalacqua/Hoyes (UM), 8-5
3. Joao Menano/West Nott (GT) def. Jeremiah Fuller/Josh Cohen (UM), 8-6
Order of Finish: 2, 3, 1
