Oct. 14, 2000

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Stephen Perkins, Andrew Simpson, and Richard Phillip of the Wake Forest men's tennis team were in action Saturday at the 2000 North Carolina State Fall Invitational. Perkins and Simpson are working their way through the consolation bracket in the B Flight Singles and Simpson and Phillip started competition in the B Flight Doubles.

Simpson, a freshman from Raleigh, N.C., dropped 2-6, 7-5, 6-1 to Bruno Coelho from Liberty in the first round of Singles Flight B on Friday morning. In the consolation side of the bracket, Simpson defeated Justin Dimaio of Furman, 6-0, 6-1 on Friday afternoon. On Saturday, he beat Luan Nguyen from Maryland 6-4, 6-3 to advance to the Flight B consolation finals. Simpson will play Vitaliy Pereverzev of North Carolina Wilmington on Sunday morning for ninth place.

Perkins, a late addition to the Wake Forest roster, lost his first round match in Singles Flight B, 2-6, 7-6, 6-3 to Richard Dutton of Elon on Friday morning. Then he fought past Alexandre Girard from East Carolina 7-5, 6-3, Friday afternoon in the consolation bracket. On Saturday, he lost to Vitaliy Pereverzev of North Carolina Wilmington 6-2, 6-1. Perkins will play his last match Sunday morning against Luan Nguyen from Maryland for 11th place.

Simpson and Phillip began doubles play Saturday in Flight B. The Demon Deacon duo will fell to Elon's Dutton and Robertson 8-4. They will face Franceschina and Brown of North Carolina Wilmington in the consolation finals Sunday afternoon for fifth place.

The NC State Fall Invitational concludes Sunday, Oct. 15.