Wake Forest Athletics
Wake Forest University
NCAA FINALS
UPSET CITY: Adamski, Paul Knock Off Tournament's Top Seed
5/26/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
May 26, 2007
Athens, Ga. - Wake Forest's Todd Paul and Mariusz Adamski upset the nation's number one doubles team, John Isner and Luis Flores of Georgia, 7-5, 7-5, on their home court in the NCAA quarterfinals in Athens, Ga., on Saturday afternoon.
The eighth-seeded Deacons (22-9) qualify for the semifinals to face Illinois' Kevin Anderson and Ryan Rowe, the 2006 NCAA doubles champions. Isner and Flores finish their season with a 36-3 record. The pair had been ranked number one since the first spring rankings in February.
Neither Wake Forest nor Georgia could grab early momentum in the first set as players on both teams held serve. That changed at 5-5 when the Deacons broke Flores' serve. At 30-40, Adamski ripped an unreturnable backhand to give the Deacons a huge break and a 6-5 lead.
Wake Forest capitalized in the next game as Paul posted back-to-back service winners to give Wake Forest the first set, 7-5.
The Deacon pair carried an emotional high into the second set. Another Adamski return broke Georgia's serve, this time against Isner, giving the Deacons an early 1-0 advantage.
Each side held their next two serves, but unable to level the score, the frustration was mounting for the Bulldogs. Georgia had a break point with Adamski serving at 3-2, but a ball from Isner went long. Despite a heated appeal from Isner, the call was upheld. Moments later, Wake Forest held serve as Flores missed a return.
After Flores held for Georgia, Paul held for Wake Forest and Isner held for Georgia, Adamski had a chance to serve out the match at 5-4. Three service winners led to match point at ad-40, but Georgia won a furious rally to stay in the match. Then, the Deacons left the door open as Adamski double faulted. The Bulldogs took advantage on the next point, breaking Wake's serve and tying the second set at 5-5.
The situation was the same as the first set with the score even at 5-5 and Flores serving. And just as it did in the first set, Wake Forest broke his serve. This time, though, the Deacons won four straight points, capped on break point by a blazing forehand by Paul down the line past Isner. An emotionally-charged Adamski and Paul sprinted off the court knowing they had a second chance to serve out the match. This time the opportunity would fall on the racquet of Paul, the senior two-time All-American. There would be no drama.
An Adamski overhead made it 15-love and Paul's service winner made it 30-love. Flores was long on a volley to make it 40-love. On triple match point, Paul's serve was returned at eye-level at the net for Adamski. The junior from Poznan, Poland made no mistake, smashing the ball over the heads of the opponents and into the heavily partisan crowd of Georgia supporters. The upset was sealed.
The start time of Sunday's semifinal match has not been determined. Adamski and Paul, ranked ninth nationally, have never faced Anderson and Rowe in doubles. The pair of Fighting Illini (23-6) got past LSU's Danny Bryan and Colt Gaston on Saturday, 6-4, 6-4.
The NCAA doubles competition continues through Monday, May 28 at Dan Magill Tennis Complex in Athens, Ga., hosted by the University of Georgia. The action can be followed live on Georgia's website, georgiadogs.com, which features live, point-by-point scoring and streaming live video on six of the 12 available outdoor courts.
Players Mentioned
