The LSU men’s and women’s tennis squads are off to fast starts in the 2003 season, with each team getting solid wins heading into its first home match of the spring.
The men captured the doubles title at the Southeastern Conference Indoor Championships in Atlanta, and the women earned four victories in six singles matches Jan. 12 in the Michigan Classic in Ann Arbor, Mich.
LSU’s Bryan Fisher and Jason Hazley dropped Vanderbilt’s Chad Harris and Scott Brown 8-6 to earn the doubles crown.
Fisher and Hazley completed play in the four-day event with a 5-0 record and have a 9-2 record this season.
“It gives us a big boost of confidence,” Fisher said of the win. “We set our goals high.”
Though it is their first year playing doubles together, Fisher said he is happy playing with Hazley and is confident they will attain their goals of going to the NCAA tournament.
“Bryan and Jason really played hard, and they came up with two huge wins over some extremely talented opponents,” said LSU men’s head coach Jeff Brown. “This should be a good springboard for them heading into dual play.”
The women earned singles wins from Daysi Espinal, Camilla Caliari, Lauren Seaman and Bonnie White.
Espinal, a freshman from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, defeated Kansas’ Emily Haylock, 6-3, 6-2.
Seaman and White also recorded straight-set victories, winning 6-3, 6-1 and 6-3, 6-4 respectively.
Caliari took three sets to knock off Kansas’ Christine Skoda, 6-7(4), 7-6(4), 1-0(3).
“We played extremely well in singles, but I wasn’t pleased with how we did in the doubles competition,” LSU women’s coach Tony Minnis said after the match.
The men were not as successful in singles play as in doubles.
LSU’s Peter Richman ended his streak of three-straight victories over a top-100 ranked opponent when No. 29 Janne Holmia of Florida handed the sophomore a 6-3, 6-4 loss in the quarterfinal round.
Richman beat No. 32 Catalin Gard of Ole Miss 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(4) and No. 10 Rameez Junaid from Auburn 6-7(2), 6-1, 6-2 to advance to the quarterfinals.
“We had a very successful weekend,” Brown said. “I think that Peter did an excellent job in the singles tournament and even our guys that lost played well and improved.”
LSU’s Ross and Rafael Corazza defeated Mississippi State opponents in singles consolation play. Ross knocked off Jerome LeBelicard, 6-3, 6-4, while Corazza won a first-set tiebreaker to beat Michael Hailey.
Both teams will compete Jan. 25 at the W.T “Dub” Robinson Tennis Stadium.
The women go up against Louisiana Tech and Centenary at 9 a.m. while the men square off at 10 a.m. against Centenary.