NCAA Tennis : Pernfors Leads Georgia Past USC and Into the Final Against UCLA

ATHENS, Ga. —  Mikael Pernfors, last year’s individual champion, won in singles and then teamed with Allen Miller to clinch Georgia’s 5-3 victory over USC Monday, moving the Bulldogs into the final of the NCAA Team Tennis Championships for the first time.

Today, the Bulldogs face defending champion UCLA, which ousted SMU, 5-4.

Pernfors beat Todd Witsken, 6-4, 6-1, in No. 1 singles, and he and Miller wrapped up the match in No. 1 doubles with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Witsken and Jorge Lozano.

Lozano had prevented Georgia from clinching the match in No. 2 singles when he came from behind to beat George Bezecny, 4-6, 7-5, 7-5. USC’s only other singles victory came at No. 3, where Rick Leach defeated Miller, 6-2, 6-3.

UCLA and SMU split the six singles matches and the teams were tie at 4-4 before Michael Kures and Mark Basham rallied for a 2-6, 6-0, 6-2 victory over Stefan Kruger and Den Bishop in No. 2 doubles. SMU’s John Ross beat Kures, 6-4, 6-1, in No. 1 singles.