Wake Forest University
No. 9 North Carolina
Demon Deacons' Run Ends in NCAA Quarterfinals
5/21/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
By Wake Forest Athletic Communications (@WakeMTennis)
ATHENS, GA. – The Wake Forest men's tennis team historic run at the NCAA Championship came to an end Saturday (May 20) evening, as the Demon Deacons fell to North Carolina, 4-2, in the quarterfinals.
Making their first-ever appearance in the quarterfinal round, the Deacs (30-3) had to withstand a rain delay in the middle of action, which ended up lasting close to five hours long. In the end, Wake Forest and North Carolina (28-4) would battle in the match that would last eight hours from start to finish.
The Tar Heels jumped on the Demon Deacons early, picking up victories in the second and third doubles spots to claim the doubles point, making just the fifth time all season that Wake Forest failed to take a 1-0 lead into singles.
After Borna Gojo and Alan Gadjiev fell in the No. 2 slot, the fourth-ranked tandem of Skander Mansouri and Christian Seraphim earned a break in the final service game to top the No. 12 duo of Blumberg and Kelly, 7-5. Coming down to the third doubles court, Petros Chrysochos and Dennis Uspensky were unable to overcome an early break and fell, 6-2.
North Carolina quickly made it 2-0 as Uspensky dropped his No. 5 singles match, 6-2, 6-0. Shortly after the conclusion of that match, the skies opened up, prompting the rain delay that would last four hours and 51 minutes.
Once play resumed, the Demon Deacons began to come a comeback. Chrysochos, ranked fifth in the country, cut the deficit in half with a 7-6 (7-3), 6-2 victory over No. 22 Ronnie Schneider. Mansouri, ranked 13th nationally, evened the match at 2-all with a 7-5, 6-4 victory over No. 116 Robert Kelly.
In the No. 3 slot, 45th-ranked Gojo battled in the first set, ultimately falling just short, 7-5. Gojo would then battle off match points to send the second set into a tiebreaker. The freshman would go up 6-5 in the tiebreaker, looking to force a third set, but came up just short, 8-6.
After Gadjiev dropped the opening set of his match at No. 6 singles, the redshirt freshman battled back to take the second set, 6-1. In the decisive third set, Gadjiev fell short, 6-2, clinching the match for the Tar Heels. Seraphim was in the middle of a third set at No. 4 singles, and was leading 3-2, when the match was clinched.
Four Demon Deacons will remain in Athens to compete as individuals in the upcoming NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships. Chrysochos, Gojo and Mansouri will take part in the singles portion of play while the duo of Mansouri and Seraphim will team up in the doubles draw. Singles play begins on Wednesday, May 24, while doubles competition kicks off on Thursday.
Doubles
1. #4 Mansouri/Seraphim (WAKE FOREST) def. #12 Blumberg/Kelly (NORTH CAROLINA), 7-5
2.#82 Murray/Soendergaard (NORTH CAROLINA) def. Gojo/Gadjiev (WAKE FOREST), 6-4
3. Kodali/Schneider (NORTH CAROLINA) def. Chrysochos/Uspensky (WAKE FOREST), 6-2
Singles
1. #5 Petros Chrysochos (WAKE FOREST) def. #22 Ronnie Schneider (NORTH CAROLINA). 7-6 (3), 6-2
2. #16 William Blumberg (NORTH CAROLINA) def. #45 Borna Gojo (WAKE FOREST), 7-5, 7-6 (6)
3. #13 Skander Mansouri (WAKE FOREST) def. #116 Robert Kelly (NORTH CAROLINA), 7-5, 6-4
4. #84 Christian Seraphim (WAKE FOREST) vs. Simon Soendergaard (NORTH CAROLINA), 7-6 (3), 4-6, 3-2
5. Jack Murray (NORTH CAROLINA) def. Dennis Uspensky (WAKE FOREST), 6-2, 6-0
6. Bo Boyden (NORTH CAROLINA) def. Alan Gadjiev (WAKE FOREST), 6-2, 1-6, 6-2
Doubles (2,3,1) Singles (5,1,3,2,6)
Players Mentioned
