Gojo’s Comeback Sends Deacs to NCAA Championship Match

ORLANDO, Fla. – Junior Borna Gojo rallied from a set down to defeat North Carolina's William Blumberg Saturday (May 18) evening, sending the third-ranked Demon Deacons to a 4-3 victory over the Tar Heels and securing a spot in the NCAA Championship match.

Wake Forest (34-3), seeded fourth in the tournament, is looking to capture its second consecutive NCAA title, and second in program history, after defeating Ohio State by a 4-2 margin a season ago. This year, the Deacs will face second-seeded and No. 2 ranked Texas, who defeated Florida in Saturday's other semifinal.

First serve for Sunday's championship match is set for 3 p.m. at the USTA National Campus and will be broadcast live on the Tennis Channel. Those who have the Tennis Channel as part of their cable package may also watch Sunday's match online.

With the team score knotted at 3-all, all eyes turned to the top singles court where Gojo, ranked 11th, and the 19th-ranked Blumberg were beginning a third set. Blumberg broke Gojo on the opening game of the set before the Demon Deacon broke right back for 1-all.

Gojo then broke Blumberg for a 4-2 lead but was nearly broken back as Gojo trailed 15/40 in the next game. The Split, Croatia native fought all the way back before winning a deuce point to hold for a 5-2 advantage. After a Blumberg hold, Gojo was forced to another deuce point, but Blumberg's return sailed into the net to send the Deacs to victory.

The match capped a tightly contested match from the opening serve. North Carolina (22-7) took a close doubles point with victories at the No. 2 and 3 positions. It was familiar territory for the Deacs who have now lost four consecutive doubles points in the tournament. Heading into singles with a 1-0 deficit, the Demon Deacons and Tar Heels each won three opening sets.

Wake Forest quickly took a 2-1 lead behind veterans Petros Chrysochos and Bar Botzer. The eighth-ranked Chrysochos defeated No. 39 Benjamin Sigouin at No. 2 singles, 6-4, 6-2, putting the opening point on the board for Wake Forest. Botzer, ranked 50th, followed moments later with a 6-4, 6-1, win from the No. 3 spot to give the Deacs the lead.

The Tar Heels picked up a point and evened the match at 2-all at the No. 4 position where Rrezart Cungu fell to No. 116 Brian Cernoch. Freshman Siddhant Banthia countered right back from the No. 6 spot, taking down Simon Sondergaard, 6-4, 6-3, to give Wake Forest a 3-2 lead.

Melios Efstathiou dropped a 6-2, 6-3 decision at No. 5 singles to once again tie the score up, this time at 3-all. Wake Forest, needing to push one of their first set defeats into a third set, turned to Gojo. Blumberg took the opening set, 6-4, before Gojo countered with a 6-2 second-set win, setting up the dramatic finale.

Gojo’s Comeback Sends Deacs to NCAA Championship Match

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Team Stats

Players Mentioned

Siddhant Banthia

Bar Botzer

Petros Chrysochos

Rrezart Cungu

Melios Efstathiou

Borna Gojo