Wake Forest University
#2 North Carolina
No. 1 Deacs Claim 2018 ACC Championship
4/29/2018 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
By Wake Forest Athletic Communications (@WakeMTennis)
CARY, N.C. -- The top-ranked and top-seeded Wake Forest men's tennis team captured its second ACC title in three years Sunday (April 29), sweeping sixth-ranked and second-seeded North Carolina, 4-0, at the Cary Tennis Park.
Wake Forest (25-2) put forth the first 4-0 sweep in a men's championship match since 2014 behind dominating doubles play and balanced singles action against North Carolina (22-5).
Senior Skander Mansouri was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player after clinching the match at No. 3 singles. The native of Tunis, Tunisia won was forced to three sets after taking the first set 6-2 and dropping the second set, 4-6. In the end, Mansouri closed out a 6-3 victory in the final set, sending the Deacs to victory.
Mansouri's win was the 115th singles win of his career, setting a new Wake Forest program record for career singles wins. The senior now holds the program records for career singles wins as well as career doubles victories.
The Deacs opened play with victories at the No. 2 and 3 doubles positions to clinch the first point of the match over the Tar Heels. Ian Dempster and Christian Seraphim walked off the courts first with a 6-3 decision in the No. 3 spot before the 40th-ranked duo of Bar Botzer and Petros Chrysochos clinched the point with a 6-3 victory.
Taking a 1-0 lead into singles, Chrysochos put the Black and Gold up 2-0 with a straight sets victory at No. 2 singles. The fourth-ranked Chrysochos topped No. 30 Benjamin Sigouin, 7-5, 6-1, to claim his 20th consecutive victory.
Freshman Rrezart Cungu was up the task of his first ACC Championship appearance as he also won in straight sets, pushing the advantage to 3-0 and setting up Mansouri's clinching match. The native of Ulcinj, Montenegro battled to a 7-5 first-set victory before closing out a 6-3 decision in the second set.
The Deacs will now await the announcement of the NCAA Championship brackets, which will be unveiled on Tuesday, May 1, at 5:30 p.m.
#1 [1] Wake Forest 4, #6 [2] North Carolina 0
Singles Results
1. #6 Borna Gojo (WF) vs. #3 William Blumberg (UNC), 6-7 (8-10), 5-6, unfinished
2. #4 Petros Chrysochos (WF) def. #30 Benjamin Sigouin (UNC), 7-5, 6-1
3. Skander Mansouri (WF) def. Simon Soendergaard (UNC), 6-2, 4-6, 6-3
4. Bar Botzer (WF) vs. #87 Robert Kelly (UNC) 6-7 (5-7), 6-2, 2-1, unfinished
5. Christian Seraphim (WF) vs. Blain Boyden (UNC), 6-1, 2-6, 4-5, unfinished
6. Rrezart Cungu (WF) def. Mac Kiger (UNC), 7-5, 6-3
Order of Finish: 2,6,3
Doubles Results
1. #31 Gojo/Mansouri (WF) vs. #1 Blumberg/Kelly (UNC), 6-5, unfinished
2. #40 Botzer/Chrysochos (WF) def. Boyden/Sigouin (UNC), 6-4
3. Dempster/Seraphim (WF) def. Kiger/Soendergaard (UNC), 6-3
Order of Finish: 3,2
Players Mentioned
