No. 2 Deacs Hold Off No. 48 UCF, 4-3, in Orlando

Sunday, March 10

Orlando, FL

TBA

Wake Forest University

UCF

Photo by: Brian Westerholt/Sports On Film

3/10/2019 4:35:00 PM | Men's Tennis

Box Score

Bar Botzer clinches the match with a three-set victory for Wake Forest

By: By Wake Forest Athletic Communications (@WakeMTennis)

ORLANDO, Fla. – The second-ranked Wake Forest men's tennis team held off a pesky UCF squad Sunday (March 10) afternoon, defeating the 48th-ranked Knights by a 4-3 margin in Orlando. Sunday's match was played at the USTA National Campus, the site of this year's NCAA Championships.

The Knights (8-6) jumped out to an early 1-0 lead over the Deacs (15-2) by taking the doubles point. The two teams traded matches at the No. 1 and 3 spots, with Bar Botzer and Petros Chrysochos falling in the top spot before Siddhant Banthia and Julian Zlobinsky claiming a 6-3 victory at the No. 3 position. UCF finished off doubles action with a 6-2 win on the remaining court to clinch the doubles point.

Despite Wake Forest and UCF splitting the opening sets on all six courts, the Deacons quickly regained the lead with a pair of wins the No. 1 and No. 6 positions. Chrysochos, ranked second nationally, defeated UCF's 18th-ranked Gabriel Decamps, 6-3, 6-3, in the top spot, improving to 11-0 overall this spring. Banthia followed with a 6-2, 6-3 decision in the No. 6 spot, giving Wake Forest a 2-1 advantage.

After Solomon fell on Court 5 to even the match, Melios Efstathiou put the Deacons back ahead with a victory from the No. 4 spot. The freshman took the opening set in a tiebreaker, 7-6(2), and was trailing 4-1 in the second set before responding for a 7-5 victory.

UCF continued to apply pressure as Rrezart Cungu fell in three sets at the No. 3 position, setting up a winner-take-all match at No. 2 singles featuring Botzer. The native of Tel Aviv, Israel dropped an opening-set tiebreaker, 7-6(4), before storming back to take the second set, 6-1. In the third and final set, Botzer earned an early break and was leading 5-3 when he broke Alan Rubio to clinch the set and the match, 6-3.

Wake Forest remains on the road to take on No. 9 Florida on Wednesday, March 13. First serve in Gainesville is slated for 5 p.m.