Wake Forest Athletics
Pair of Deacs Advance to NCAA Quarterfinals
5/26/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
By Wake Forest Athletic Communications (@WakeMTennis)
ATHENS, Ga. – The Wake Forest men's tennis team sent a pair of individuals onto the quarterfinals of the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships, as Skander Mansouri advanced in singles play and teamed up with Christian Seraphim to post a victory in doubles competition.
Play on Friday (May 26) was highlighted by Mansouri, who advanced to the quarterfinals of the singles draw for the first time in his career. After making it to the Round of 16 a season ago, Mansouri bettered his performance with a three-set victory over Jolan Cailleau of Texas Tech. Mansouri, a No. 9-16 seed in the field and the 13th-ranked player nationally, jumped out to a quick 6-1 lead over the 22nd-ranked player in Cailleau.
The Tunisia native would be pushed to a third set, as Cailleau claimed the second by taking the final three service games to close out the 6-3 victory. In the third and final set, Manosuri and Calilleau were tied at 2-all before a break by Mansouri put the junior up 4-2. He would serve out and advance to the quarterfinals with a 6-4 victory. In the quarterfinals, Mansouri will face fourth-ranked and second-seeded Nuno Borges of Mississippi State. The two have met twice this season, with both matches coming during tournament play last fall. Mansouri took the first meeting in straight sets (6-3, 6-4) before dropping the second meeting (7-5, 6-1).
Mansouri then teamed up with Seraphim in doubles play, and the duo posted a straight-sets victory over Niclas Braun and Trevor Foshey of Mississippi State. The Demon Deacon duo, who are seeded and ranked fourth, jumped out to a quick lead in the opening set, closing out a 6-1 decision. It was back and forth in the second set, before a late break sent Mansouri and Seraphim onto the quarterfinals for the second consecutive season, closing out the 7-5 victory.
Action Wednesday also saw the tournament end for a pair of Deacs, as Petros Chrysochos and Borna Gojo each bowed out in singles competition.
Gojo, took on Jack Findel-Hawkins of North Florida and dropped the opening set, 6-3. The freshman responded with a 6-2 victory in the second to set, but ran out of gas in the final frame, falling 6-0. Gojo's appearance in the Round of 16 marked the third consecutive year a Wake Forest freshman had done so, thus securing All-American honors in the process.
Chrysochos battled Alex Ghilea in a pair of tightly contested sets. The opening frame would ultimately go into a tiebreaker, with Chrysochos being narrowly edged, 7-5. Both players would trade service games back and forth in the second set until a late break by Ghilea closed out the match, 7-5, in favor of the Sooner.
Mansouri and Seraphim will continue play Saturday (May 27), with start times and doubles opponent still to be determined.
NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships
Singles Results
R64 - #5 [3] Petros Chrysochos (WF) def. #64 Tyler Lu (Yale), 6-4, 6-3
R64 - #45 Borna Gojo (WF) def. #6 [4] Arthur Rinderknech (TAMU), 2-6, 6-4, 6-3
R64 - #13 [9-16] Skander Mansouri (WF) def. #39 Jose Salazar (ARK), 6-4, 6-4
R32 - #5 [3] Petros Chrysochos (WF) def. #37 Strong Kirchheimer (NU), 6-4, 6-2
R32 - #45 Borna Gojo (WF) def. #56 Nathan Ponwith (UGA), 6-3, 6-2
R32 - #13 [9-16] Skander Mansouri (WF) def. #65 David Biosca (ETSU), 6-4, 6-7(6), 7-6(1)
R16 - #13 [9-16] Skander Mansouri (WF) def. #22 Jolan Cailleau (TTU), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4
R16 - #47 Alex Ghilea (OU) def. #5 [3] Petros Chrysochos (WF), 7-6(5), 7-5
R16 - #69 Jack Findel-Hawkins (UNF) def. #45 Borna Gojo (WF), 6-3, 2-6, 6-0
Doubles Results
R32 - #4 [4] Mansouri/Seraphim (WF) def. Pennington/Wallart (UK), 6-3, 6-2
R16 - #4 [4] Mansouri/Seraphim (WF) def. Braun/Foshey (MSU), 6-1, 7-5
Players Mentioned
