GAINESVILLE, Fla. - No. 31 Stanford dropped a 4-1 decision to No. 29 South Carolina on Saturday morning in the opening round of ITA Kick-Off Weekend.
The Cardinal (1-1) will wrap up competition on Sunday at 6 a.m. PT against No. 13 Florida, as the host Gators were upended by No. 32 Mississippi, which rallied after trailing 3-0.
With four programs ranked among the nation’s top-32, the Gainesville site is one of the most balanced regionals in the country. The winner of Sunday’s match between South Carolina/Mississippi punches its ticket to the ITA National Team Indoor Championships in Chicago, Ill., from Feb. 13-16.
South Carolina (3-0) claimed the doubles point and clinched the match when Andrew Schafer outlasted David Hsu 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 at the No. 4 position.
The Cardinal jumped out to an early lead in doubles, with John Morrissey and Robert Stineman booking a 6-3 win at the top spot of the lineup. But the Gamecocks countered at No. 3 and secured the point with a 7-5 triumph at No. 2.
Tom Fawcett continued his strong play, accounting for Stanford’s only point in a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Thiago Pinheiro at the No. 1 position.
In last season’s event, Stanford edged Washington in its first match before losing to host Georgia the following day.
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No. 29 South Carolina 4, No. 31 Stanford 1
DOUBLES
1) Morrissey/Stineman (STAN) d. Koch/Pinheiro (SCAR) 6-3
2) No. 46 Mayroone/O’Keefe (SCAR) d. Fawcett/Romanowicz (STAN) 7-5
3) Adams/Schafer (SCAR) d. Paige/Trey Strobel (STAN) 6-3
Order of Finish: 1, 3, 2
SINGLES
1) No. 25 Tom Fawcett (STAN) d. No. 71 Thiago Pinheiro (SCAR) 6-4, 6-2
2) Andrew Adams (SCAR) d. Maciek Romanowicz (STAN) 6-2, 6-1
3) John Morrissey (STAN) vs. No. 118 Kyle Koch (SCAR) abandoned
4) No. 83 Andrew Schafer (SCAR) d. No. 75 David Hsu (STAN) 6-2, 3-6, 6-1
5) Harrison O’Keefe (SCAR) d. Nolan Paige (STAN) 7-6, 6-2
6) David Wilczynski (STAN) vs. Thomas Mayroone (SCAR) abandoned
Order of Finish: 2, 1, 5, 4