Wake Forest Athletics
Photo by: Brian Westerholt/Sports On Film
Deacs Ranked No. 1 to Start 2019 Season
1/9/2019 12:49:00 PM | Men's Tennis
Demon Deacons begin their title defense on January 16
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – For the second year in a row, the Wake Forest men's tennis team will begin the season ranked No. 1 nationally, as the ITA announced their first rankings of the 2019 season Wednesday (Jan. 9) afternoon.
The Demon Deacons, the defending NCAA champions, earned 11 of the 12 first-place votes, with national runner-up Ohio State claiming the final first-place vote. Wake Forest is one of five ACC teams ranked, as North Carolina (No. 6), Virginia (No. 17), Notre Dame (No. 18) and Florida State all appear in the first rankings of the year.
Last year, Wake Forest was ranked No. 1 to start the season for the first time in program history, setting the tone for a historic season for the Deacs. Over the course of the 2018 season, the Demon Deacons claimed their first-ever ITA National Team Indoor Championship, second consecutive ACC regular season title, second ACC Championship title in three years and second consecutive No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Championship.
The team would go on to claim its first-ever NCAA team title before teammates Petros Chrysochos and Borna Gojo met in the final of the NCAA Singles Championship, with Chrysochos claiming the program's first NCAA individual title in program history. The Deacs finished last year 31-2 overall and have amassed a 92-11 record over the last three seasons.
Entering the 2019 season, four Demon Deacons appear in the individual rankings. Chrysochos finished the fall ranked No. 1 nationally after winning the ITA National Fall Championships singles title for the first time in program history. He is joined in the rankings by Bar Botzer (No. 25), Melios Efstathiou (No. 39) and Rrezart Cungu (No. 80).
Wake Forest opens the spring season on Wednesday, January 16 with a double-header against Wofford and Gardner-Webb. First serve is set for 3 p.m. inside the Wake Forest Indoor Tennis Center.
The Demon Deacons, the defending NCAA champions, earned 11 of the 12 first-place votes, with national runner-up Ohio State claiming the final first-place vote. Wake Forest is one of five ACC teams ranked, as North Carolina (No. 6), Virginia (No. 17), Notre Dame (No. 18) and Florida State all appear in the first rankings of the year.
Last year, Wake Forest was ranked No. 1 to start the season for the first time in program history, setting the tone for a historic season for the Deacs. Over the course of the 2018 season, the Demon Deacons claimed their first-ever ITA National Team Indoor Championship, second consecutive ACC regular season title, second ACC Championship title in three years and second consecutive No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Championship.
The team would go on to claim its first-ever NCAA team title before teammates Petros Chrysochos and Borna Gojo met in the final of the NCAA Singles Championship, with Chrysochos claiming the program's first NCAA individual title in program history. The Deacs finished last year 31-2 overall and have amassed a 92-11 record over the last three seasons.
Entering the 2019 season, four Demon Deacons appear in the individual rankings. Chrysochos finished the fall ranked No. 1 nationally after winning the ITA National Fall Championships singles title for the first time in program history. He is joined in the rankings by Bar Botzer (No. 25), Melios Efstathiou (No. 39) and Rrezart Cungu (No. 80).
Wake Forest opens the spring season on Wednesday, January 16 with a double-header against Wofford and Gardner-Webb. First serve is set for 3 p.m. inside the Wake Forest Indoor Tennis Center.
Players Mentioned
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