Oct. 16, 2000

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Andrew Simpson of the Wake Forest men's tennis team picked up a third win Sunday at the 2000 North Carolina State Fall Invitational to finish in ninth place of the B Flight Singles. After losing his first round match on Friday, Simpson fought his way through the consolation bracket and finished on a high note, beating North Carolina Wilmington's Vitaliy Pereverzev 6-1, 6-4.

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 topped UNCW's Pereverzev Sunday morning in the consolation finals, to earn ninth place.

Steve 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 defaulted his last match Sunday morning against Luan Nguyen from Maryland.

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

The Wake Forest men's tennis team will return to action Oct. 20-22 at the South Florida Fall Invitational in Tampa Fla.