Bulldog Duo Reaches Semifinals In USC Invitational

--- Grant falls in semifinals ---

Oct. 15, 2006

COLUMBIA, S.C. ---- Bulldog duo Jason Thomas and Bradley Weaver, as well as fellow Bulldogs Hank Grant reached the semifinal round of their respective brackets in the final day of the USC Fall Invitational. All other Bulldogs were retired early.

Grant met up with Daniel Knause of Furman today to vie for a spot in the finals of the A-2 singles consolation bracket. He would see the end of the road there as he fell to Knause, 6-7, 6-3, 1-0(2). Grant was defeated, 6-3, 6-4, in his first match of the A-2 Singles yesterday by Robert Jendeland of Armstrong Atlantic. That loss sent Grant to the consolation bracket where he would beat Quinten Guichard of Charleston Southern, 7-5, 6-1, and Barton College’s Dan Mascall, 6-2, 6-2, to advance to the semifinals.

Thomas/Weaver received a bye to the B-3 quarterfinals Friday to take on McElveen/Muthig of Wofford. They advanced to the semifinals with an 8-6 win over McElveen/Muthig, but would drop the semifinal match, 8-2, to Georgia Southern duo Mallet/Shine. Mallet/Shine would go on to win the bracket title.

Other Bulldogs face tough competitors, but could not get to the final rounds in the end.

Hampton’s Seo-Jae Chang sent Bulldog Renan Silveira to the consolation bracket of the A-1 Singles after he beat Silveira, 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-4. Silveira would then take on the Citadel’s Danny Dossetor and beat him, 6-3, 6-3, sending Silveira to the semifinal round. However, he would be ousted by David Budler of Francis Marion, 2-6, 6-4, 10-5.

In the B-1 Singles bracket, sophomore Brian Dushock was defeated by Tim Mudrick of Auburn-Montgomery, 6-3, 6-0. In the consolation bracket, Dushock would fall to Zack Watson of Radford, 7-5, 6-2.

In B-3 Singles, junior Jason Thomas fell in his first match (6-3, 2-6, 6-4) to Austin Webb of Wofford. There was still no luck for Thomas in the consolation bracket as he fell to Christian Easton of Armstrong Atlantic, 6-3, 6-0. Senior Bradley Weaver made his way to the quarterfinal round by defeating Steven Myers (7-5, 6-4) of College of Charleston, but would play his last match of the weekend as he fell to Auburn-Montgomery’s Nikola Miskovic, 7-6, 6-2.

Junior Sam Huffman made it to the quarterfinals of the B-2 Singles defeating Diego Martinez of Troy (6-1, 6-4) and Thiago Barbosa of Winthrop (5-7, 6-3, 6-2). However, that would be the end of Huffman’s trip as he fell to Chris Peek of South Carolina-Up State, 6-3, 6-1.

In doubles, Grant/Misner received a bye to the quarterfinals and made their way to the A-2 doubles semifinals by defeating Mudrick/Petropolous of Auburn-Montgomery, 8-2. However, they would lose their chance to get to the finals after falling to Melllis/Quibell, 8-6. Also Dushock/Miletic were defeated by Hampton duo Herrera/Sacomandi in the first round of the B-2 doubles.

Up next for the Samford men’s tennis team is the ITA Southeast Regionals. The Bulldogs will travel to Lexington, Ky., next Friday, Oct. 20, to compete in four days of matches.

*** SAMFORD BULLDOGS ***