No. 1 Deacs Secure Spot in ITA National Team Championship Finale

CHICAGO, Ill. – The top-ranked and third-seeded Wake Forest men's tennis team advanced to the championship match at the ITA National Team Indoor Championship with a 4-2 victory over eighth-ranked and seventh-seeded North Carolina Sunday afternoon at the Midtown Athletic Club in Chicago.

With the victory, Wake Forest (12-1) will face top-seeded and second-ranked Ohio State in the finale, a rematch of last year's NCAA Championship. The Demon Deacons won that meeting, 4-2, to capture the program's first-ever NCAA title. Monday's match will also be a chance for the Deacs to repeat at the ITA National Team Indoor Championship after defeating UCLA a season ago.

It was a closely contested doubles point between Wake Forest and North Carolina (7-2), as it came down to a pair of tiebreakers to determine the point. Bar Botzer and Petros Chrysochos took care of the No. 2 spot, claiming a 6-3 decision. Meanwhile, the Demon Deacon duos of Borna Gojo/Alan Gadjiev and Siddhant Banthia/Julian Zlobinsky battled in tiebreakers at the No. 1 and 3 spots, respectively.

Banthia and Zlobinsky took a mini advantage at 6-4 in the tiebreaker, but UNC's duo of Mac Kiger and Simon Soendergaard won four consecutive points to take the match, 8-6. With all eyes on the No. 1 doubles court, Gojo and Gadjiev jumped out to an early lead and closed out the 7-2 victory, putting the Deacs ahead 1-0 heading into singles.

The two teams split the six first sets before the Tar Heels captured back-to-back wins at the No. 4 and 6 spots to go ahead, 2-1.

Gojo found himself in a three-set battle at the No. 1 spot against North Carolina's William Blumberg. After Gojo took the first set, 6-3, Blumberg responded, 6-4, sending the match to a third set. Trailing 4-2 in the third set, Gojo broke back for 4-all. Blumberg held for 5-4 and had a pair of match points against Gojo before the junior rallied to hold for 5-all. Gojo broke for 6-5 and then dialed up a service winner on the deuce point to close out the 7-5 victory.

Chrysochos was forced to a third set after splitting the opening sets, 7-6(4), 3-6. The senior jumped out to a commanding 3-0 lead in the deciding set. Benjamin Sigouin fought back to 4-3 before Chrysochos broke for a 5-3 lead and served it out, putting the Deacs ahead 3-2.

Botzer was forced to rally after dropping the opening set, 6-3. The Tel Aviv, Israel native was leading 6-5 in the second set before breaking Josh Peck to take the second set, 7-5. It was all Botzer in the deciding set, cruising to a 6-1 victory and sealing Wake Forest's victory.

First serve for Monday's championship match is set for 12 p.m. (ET) at the Midtown Athletic Club.

No. 1 Deacs Secure Spot in ITA National Team Championship Finale

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Team Stats

Players Mentioned

Siddhant Banthia

Bar Botzer

Petros Chrysochos

Alan Gadjiev

Borna Gojo

Julian Zlobinsky