Wake Forest Athletics
Deacs Sweep NCAA Singles Semifinals
5/27/2018 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
By Wake Forest Athletic Communications (@WakeMTennis)
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The storybook runs of Petros Chrysochos and Borna Gojo continued Sunday (May 27) as the pair each won their respective semifinal matches in the NCAA Singles Championship to set up a championship against one another.
By virtue of the championship match between Chrysochos and Gojo, the Demon Deacons are guaranteed their first-ever NCAA individual title. Chrysochos and Gojo become the second and third players to reach the championship match, joining Noah Rubin (2015) who ultimately fell in the final.
It is just the fourth time in the history of the men's Singles Championship in which the championship match will feature players from the same school. Coincidentally, in all four instances (Stanford '81, Georgia '85, Stanford '98, Wake Forest '18), the championship match features the team that also won the team championship in the same year.
Chrysochos, the No. 4 seed in the field, squared off against top-ranked and top-seeded Martin Redlicki of UCLA. The Demon Deacon stormed out of the gate, quickly taking the first set by a 6-1 margin. Redlicki responded in the second set and the two players traded service holds over the first four games. Chrysochos dropped his first service game of the match to give Redlicki a 5-4 lead and the Bruin would close out the second set, 6-4, to force a third.
In the third set, Chrysochos and Redlicki were on serve at 3-2 when the Demon Deacon broke for a 4-2 advantage. The lead didn't last for long, however, as Redlicki broke back on the next service game. With the two on serve and Chrysochos up 5-4, the junior from Larnaca, Cyprus broke on the deuce point to clinch his spot in the championship match.
Meanwhile, action was getting underway for Gojo, the No. 7 seed, who was facing third-seeded Nuno Borges of Mississippi State. Borges, similar to Chrysochos, stormed out of the gate to take a 6-2 decision in the opening set. Gojo, a native of Split, Croatia, rebounded with a 7-5 victory in the second set after breaking Borges at 5-all.
In the third and final set, Gojo broke at deuce to take a 3-2 lead, an advantage he would not relinquish. The sophomore would add a second break later in the set to help close out the 6-2 victory, securing the all-Wake Forest finale.
First serve in the championship match is set for 12 p.m. and will be broadcast on NCAA.com
NCAA Division I Men's Tennis Singles Championship
R64 - #4 [4] Petros Chrysochos (WF) def. #57 Michail Pervolarakis (PORT) 5-7, 6-2, 6-4
R64 - #7 [7] Borna Gojo (WF) def. #98 Guanarteme Nuez (UT ARLINGTON) 6-3, 6-4
R64 - #38 Skander Mansouri def. #63 Johannes Schretter (BAY) 7-5, ret. inj.
R32 - #4 [4] Petros Chrysochos def. #50 William Bushamuka (UK) 5-0, ret. inj.
R32 - #7 [7] Borna Gojo (WF) def. #40 Gabriel Friedrich (SC) 6-4, 6-1
R32 - #2 [3] Nuno Borges (MSST) def. #38 Skander Mansouri (WF) 6-2, 4-6, 6-4
R16 - #4 [4] Petros Chrysochos (WF) def. #36 Ryan Peniston (MEM) 6-2, 6-4
R16 - #7 [7] Borna Gojo (WF) def. #72 Valentin Vacherot (TAMU) 7-6(5), 3-6, 6-2
QF - #4 [4] Petros Chrysochos (WF) def. #6 [6] Mikael Torpegaard (OSU) 4-6, 6-2, 7-6(2)
QF - #7 [7] Borna Gojo (WF) def. #3 [2] William Blumberg (UNC), 4-6, 6-4, 6-3
SF - #4 [4] Petros Chrysochos (WF) def. #1 [1] Martin Redlicki (UCLA) 6-1, 4-6, 6-4
SF - #7 [7] Borna Gojo (WF) def. #2 [3] Nuno Borges (MSST) 2-6, 7-5, 6-2
NCAA Division I Men's Tennis Doubles Championship
R32 - #40 Peniston/Watson (MEM) def. #35 Botfzer/Chrysochos (WF) 6-3, 5-7, 10-5
Players Mentioned
