Feb. 20, 2011
CONWAY, S.C. - The Coastal Carolina men's tennis team won its sixth straight match and turned in a dominant performance in a 7-0 shutout of Gardner-Webb Sunday afternoon from the Billy Nichols Tennis Center.
The Chanticleers (6-0, 1-0) won the doubles point to take an early 1-0 lead. Senior Dorian Sovic and sophomore Yusuke Kusuda started with an 8-1 victory over Julien Belair and Adam Knutsson-Sunblad at the No. 3 position.
After Gardner-Webb won the second doubles match, the Coastal duo of senior Alex Funkhouser and junior Danny Heidecker clinched the point with an 8-6 triumph at No. 2 over Roman Piftor and Korham Ates.
Kusuda put the Chants ahead 2-0 with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Veeder at No. 3 singles. Heidecker gave Coastal a 3-0 advantage following his 6-3, 6-4 victory at No. 1 over Belair, while Gordon clinched the match by beating Ates 6-4, 6-2 at No. 2.
Funkhouser won 7-6, 6-3 win over Knutsson-Sunblad at No. 4, while freshman Leo Christofides turned in a 6-3, 6-2 win at No. 6 over Matthew Parker.
Sovic capped the shutout with a 4-6, 6-4, 11-9 win at No. 5 over Piftor.
"Today was a step forward for this tennis program," Coastal Carolina head coach Chris Powers said. "We need to carry over that team desire and support from Sovic's match to Campbell this week. We are excited to play a talented team like Campbell."
Coastal Carolina returns to action Tuesday at 1 p.m. when the Chanticleers travel to Buies Creek, N.C., to take on Campbell.
AGATE
Doubles
Andrew Veeder & Andrew Carter (Gardner-Webb) def. Matt Gordon & Peter Billingham (Coastal Carolina) 8-6
Alex Funkhouser & Danny Heidecker (Coastal Carolina) def. Roman Piftor & Korhan Ates (Gardner-Webb) 8-6
Dorian Sovic & Yusuke Kusuda (Coastal Carolina) def. Julien Belair & Adam Knutsson-Sunblad (Gardner-Webb) 8-1
Singles
Danny Heidecker (Coastal Carolina) def. Julien Belair (Gardner-Webb) 6-3, 6-4
Matt Gordon (Coastal Carolina) def. Korhan Ates (Gardner-Webb) 6-4, 6-2
Yusuke Kusuda (Coastal Carolina) def. Andrew Veeder (Gardner-Webb) 6-2, 6-3
Alex Funkhouser (Coastal Carolina) def. Adam Knutsson-Sunblad (Gardner-Webb) 7-6, 6-3
Dorian Sovic (Coastal Carolina) def. Roman Piftor (Gardner-Webb) 4-6, 6-4, 11-9
Leo Christofides (Coastal Carolina) def. Matthew Parker (Gardner-Webb) 6-3, 6-2
