Wake Forest University
Virginia
Deacs Top Cavaliers in Thriller
3/31/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
March 31, 2017
By Wake Forest Athletic Communications (@WakeMTennis)
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Behind a point from doubles play and victories in the top four singles slots, the Wake Forest men's tennis team defeated Virginia 5-2 Friday evening under the lights at the Wake Forest Tennis Complex.
The Demon Deacons (18-1, 6-0 ACC) picked up their first victory over Virginia (17-1, 4-1 ACC) at home since April 14, 1995, and have now won two-straight in the all-time series after dropping the previous 24 matches. It marks just the third time in program history that the Deacs have won two consecutive matches against the Cavaliers.
The rematch of last season's ACC Championship match, won by Wake Forest 4-3, was delayed by two and a half hours Friday due to rain and an effort to keep the match outdoors instead of moving the action inside.
Once play began, the momentum jumped back and forth in doubles play. The Deacs found themselves in an early hole before responding to take the point. After dropping an early break court 3, Petros Chrysochos and Dennis Uspensky rebounded to take a 6-3 decision.
Skander Mansouri and Christian Seraphim battled the No. 49 duo of Luca Corinteli and Henrik Wiersholm to a tiebreaker, eventually claiming a 7-4 victory in the tiebreak to clinch the doubles point. Action on court 2 was suspended after the doubles point had been won with Borna Gojo and Alan Gadjiev up 6-5, on serve.
In singles play, the Deacs quickly found themselves in trouble as the Cavaliers took four of the first six sets. After Gadjiev fell on court 6 to even the score at 1-all, Mansouri put Wake Forest back in front on court 3 as the Mansouri, ranked 14th nationally, topped No. 64 Collin Altamirano, 6-4, 6-4.
Virginia would once again even up the match with a victory on court 5. Seraphim pushed the first set to a tiebreaker, but couldn't come through, before dropping the second set to Wiersholm.
In the top singles slot, Chrysochos, ranked second in the country, and Thai-Son Kwiatkowski, ranked sixth, battled through three sets. Chrysochos cruised through the first, 6-1, before Kwiatkowski responded in the second set, 6-2. After trading games early in the third set, Chrysochos pulled away for a 6-3 victory, putting the Deacs one point away from clinching the match.
Gojo responded after dropping the opening set of his match at No. 2 singles, 7-5. The 57th-ranked Gojo claimed the second set, 6-3, before closing out his match, and sealing the victory for the Deacs, with a 6-1 triumph in the third set.
With the victory in hand, Uspensky battled back from a 5-2 deficit in the third set to force a third-set tiebreaker on court 4. Even at 5-all, Uspensky took the last two points to close out the Deacs' 5-2 victory over Virginia.
The Deacs remain at home for a doubleheader on Sunday, April 2 with matches against Miami and North Carolina A&T. First serve against the Hurricanes is set for 1 p.m., with action against the Bulldogs to follow at approximately 4 p.m.
#1 Wake Forest 5, #3 Virginia 2
Singles Results
1. #2 Petros Chrysochos (WF) def. #6 Thai-Son Kwiatkowski (VA) 6-1, 2-6, 6-3
2. #57 Borna Gojo (WF) def. Alexander Rischard (VA) 5-7, 6-3, 6-1
3. #14 Skander Mansouri (WF) def. #64 Collin Altamirano (VA) 6-4, 6-4
4. Dennis Uspensky (WF) def. #104 J.C. Aragone (VA) 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7-5)
5. Henrik Wiersholm (VA) def. Christian Seraphim (WF) 7-6 (7-5), 6-3
6. Luca Corinteli (VA), def. Alan Gadjiev (WF) 6-3, 6-0
Order of Finish: 6,3,5,1,2,4
Doubles Results
1. #1 Mansouri/Seraphim (WF) def. #49 Corinteli/Wiersholm (VA) 7-6 (7-4)
2. Gojo/Gadjiev (WF) vs. Kwiatkowski/Ritschard (VA) 6-5, unfinished
3. Chrysochos/Uspensky (WF) def. Aragone/Altamirano (VA) 6-3
Order of Finish: 3,1
Players Mentioned
