Season ends for LSU tennis teams

• By ADVOCATE NEWS SERVICES
• Published: May 11, 2008 - Page: 2C - UPDATED: 1:30 a.m.

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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The 18th-ranked LSU men’s tennis team won a convincing doubles point but was unable to finish strong in singles as No. 15 Illinois ended the Tigers season with a 4-2 victory in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at the Atkins Tennis Center.

The Tigers (15-9) claimed convincing wins on the top two courts in doubles, but freshman Sebastian Carlsson was the only Tiger to pick up a win in singles.

The Illini (20-8) will go on to the NCAA Round of 16 at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center in Tulsa, Okla., May 16-20. It was the first time this season the Illini won a match without the doubles point.

The series between the two teams is tied at 5-all.

“We set us up well with an outstanding doubles performance,” LSU coach Jeff Brown said. “The large crowd didn’t bother us, but they got off to a quick start in singles on too many courts. We were able to win on one court but we had too many straight-sets losses. It was a pretty valiant effort. I couldn’t ask for much more outside of getting the win.”

LSU’s senior duo of Kevin Dessauer and Colt Gaston gave the Tigers the early advantage in doubles, defeating the Illinois pair of Ruben Gonzales and Marc Spicijaric, 8-4.

LSU’s James Cluskey and Michael Venus clinched the doubles point with an 8-3 win over Billy Heiser and Ryan Rowe, ranked No. 11 in the country.

Freshman Sebastian Carlsson extended LSU’s lead to 2-0 by defeating Waylon Chin, 6-1, 6-3.

The Illini tied the score at 2-all by posting victories on courts five and three.

The Illini took its first lead of the match as senior Jan Zelezny fell in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4, to Gonzales.

Gaston rallied from a first-set deficit to take the second set, 6-3, against Heiser.

Heiser jumped out to a 4-0 advantage in the third set before Gaston was able to get two games to put Heiser’s lead at 4-2. Hesier won the next games to give Illinois the victory.

Saturday’s match marked the end of LSU’s three seniors, Dessauer, Gaston and Zelezny, careers as Tigers.