Wake Forest University
Stanford
Gojo Sends Deacs to ITA Finals
2/18/2018 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
By Wake Forest Athletic Communications (@WakeMTennis)
SEATTLE, Wash. -- Trailing by a set, sophomore Borna Gojo won a pair of tiebreakers to lift top-ranked Wake Forest over No. 5 Stanford, 4-3, in the semifinals of the ITA National Team Indoor Championship Sunday (Feb. 18) evening.
The finals appearance will be the first in program history for the Demon Deacons (8-0), whose previous best finish was a semifinal berth a year ago.
Gojo, ranked 100th nationally, had to rally after dropping the opening set to No. 33 Tom Fawcett of Stanford (8-1), 6-3, in the No. 1 singles match. In the second set, the two would play to a tiebreaker, with Gojo forcing a third set with a 7-5 tiebreaker victory. After the two played to another tiebreaker in the third set, Gojo found himself down 4-1 but claimed six of the next seven points to seal the Deacs' victory, 7-5.
The Deacs roared out of the gates Sunday, quickly winning the doubles point. Bar Botzer and Petros Chrysochos blanked the Cardinal duo of Wilczynski and Sah, 6-0, at the No. 3 spot before Gojo and Mansouri closed out the doubles point with a 6-3 victory at No. 2 doubles.
No. 6 Chrysochos pushed the advantage to 2-0 with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over No 75 Axel Geller. Stanford rallied back, picking up wins at the No. 5 and 4 positions to even the match at 2-all.
Julian Zlobinsky put the Demon Deacons one point away from victory with a 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 decision at the No. 6 position. Mansouri was unable to clinch the match at No. 3 singles, setting up the dramatic finish at the top singles spot.
Wake Forest will meet No. 7 UCLA in the finals, with first serve set for 3 p.m. (ET).
No. 1 Wake Forest 4, No. 5 Stanford 3
Doubles Results:
1. Dempster/Seraphim (WF) vs. #55 Kumar/Genender (STAN), 2-4, unfinished
2. Gojo/Mansouri (WF) def. #32 Fawcett/Geller (STAN), 6-3
3. Botzer/Chrysochos (WF) def. Wilczynski/Sah (STAN), 6-0
Order of Finish: 3,2
Singles Results:
1. #100 Borna Gojo (WF) def. #33 Tom Fawcett (STAN), 3-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(5)
2. #6 Petros Chrysochos (WF) def. # 75 Axel Geller (STAN), 6-4, 6-3
3. Sameer Kumar (STAN) def. #22 Skander Mansouri (WF), 6-7(10), 6-3, 6-4
4. Eric Fomba (STAN) def. #112 Bar Botzer (WF), 7-5, 7-5
5. #117 David Wilczynski (STAN) def. #62 Christian Seraphim (WF), 6-4, 6-2
6. Julian Zlobinsky (WF) def. William Genesen (STAN), 7-5, 3-6, 6-3
Order of Finish: 2,5,4,6,3,1
Players Mentioned
