Sunday, January 22
Winston-Salem, N.C.
1:30 P.M.
Wake Forest University
4
vs
3
#6 Tennessee
Demon Deacons Defeat No. 6 Tennessee, Queens to Remain Unbeaten
1/22/2023 8:26:00 PM | Men's Tennis
Graduate student Jurabek Karimov sealed the victory over the Volunteers with a 6-4, 7-6 (9-7) win in third singles. The Deacs have now tallied 14 top-25 wins over the past three seasons.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – In front of a raucous crowd inside the Indoor Tennis Center at Wake Forest, the 14th-ranked Wake Forest men's tennis team downed No. 6 Tennessee (4-3) and in-state foe Queens (5-2) Sunday to remain undefeated to start the 2023 campaign.
182 spectators packed into the Indoor Tennis Center to witness the highly-anticipated top-15 showdown between the Demon Deacons (6-0, 0-0 ACC) and the sixth-ranked Volunteers (4-2, 0-0 ACC). Sunday's contest marked Wake Forest's most attended match since last season's 4-2 victory over No. 19 Duke.
Of note, the Demon Deacons earned their 14th top-25 win in the past three seasons with the victory over the Volunteers. Additionally, Wake Forest has now won 32-consecutive home matches, dating back to last season.
After trailing 3-2 with just two courts still in play, junior Luciano Tacchi and graduate student Jurabek Karimov earned theatric singles victories on Courts 3 and 4 to capture the Deacs' fifth win of the season. With Sunday's result, the Demon Deacons have now won five of their last six matches against the Volunteers.
Against Queens, Wake Forest earned the doubles point and collected four of the six singles points en route to a 5-2 decision over the Royals. Sunday's win against Queens improved the Deacs to 13-0 against schools in the state of North Carolina since the beginning of the 2022 campaign.
With the two victories Sunday, Wake Forest improved its non-conference record to an impressive 46-12 over the past three seasons.
The Demon Deacons will return to action Friday when they host ITA Kickoff Weekend inside the Indoor Tennis Center at Wake Forest.
Match #1 - Tennessee
How It Happened
1. Melios Efstathiou (WFU) def. Johannus Monday (UTMEN) 6-4, 6-4
2. Shunsuke Mitsui (UTMEN) def. Filippo Moroni (WFU) 6-4, 6-3
3. Jurabek Karimov (WFU) def. Emile Hudd (UTMEN) 6-4, 7-6 (9-7)
4. Luciano Tacchi (WFU) def. Blaise Bicknell (UTMEN) 7-5, 4-6, 6-3
5. Matthew Thomson (WFU) def. Boris Kozlov (UTMEN) 6-3, 6-2
6. Angel Diaz (UTMEN) def. Juan Lopez de Azcona (WFU) 4-6, 6-1, 6-2
Doubles Results
1. Johannus Monday/Pat Harper (UTMEN) def. Juan Lopez de Azcona/Filippo Moroni (WFU) 6-2
2. Luciano Tacchi/Jurabek Karimov (WFU) def. Emile Hudd/Martim Prata (UTMEN) 6-2
3. Shunsuke Mitsui/Angel Diaz (UTMEN) def. Melios Efstathiou/Matthew Thomson (WFU) 6-3
Match #2 - Queens
How It Happened
1. Filippo Moroni (WFU) def. CECERE, Edoardo (QUM) 6-3, 6-2
2. Melios Efstathiou (WFU) def. BOTTINO, Edoardo (QUM) 6-0, 6-2
3. Matthew Thomson (WFU) def. STEVEKER, Win (QUM) 7-6 (10-8), 6-2
4. BLICKWEDE, Laurenz (QUM) def. Vikas Deo (WFU) 6-4, 6-3
5. GONELA, Milan (QUM) def. Togan Makzume (WFU) 8-5
6. Ernesto Requena (WFU) def. GOSSELIN, Lukas (QUM) 8-6
Doubles Results
1. Filippo Moroni/Juan Lopez de Azcona (WFU) def. BLICKWEDE, Laurenz/BOTTINO, Edoardo (QUM) 6-1
2. Jurabek Karimov/Luciano Tacchi (WFU) vs. GONELA, Milan/CECERE, Edoardo (QUM) 4-2, unfinished
3. Matthew Thomson/Melios Efstathiou (WFU) def. LYNES, Euan/MCNAMARA, Quinton (QUM) 6-0
From Coach Bresky
"Today's win over Tennessee was a really gutsy performance by our guys. We dropped the doubles point which isn't ideal when facing a high-level team, but we were able to bounce back, winning four of the singles matches. Tennessee is a really good team and a perennial top-five program every season, so getting that win this early in the season is good for us. I'm just proud of how our team competed. I was also proud of how we came back and played a second match shortly after. These double-headers really show our toughness and fitness as a group." - Coach Tony Bresky
Up Next
The Demon Deacons will return to action Friday when they host ITA Kickoff Weekend at the Indoor Tennis Center at Wake Forest.
Follow the Deacs:
GoDeacs.com | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
182 spectators packed into the Indoor Tennis Center to witness the highly-anticipated top-15 showdown between the Demon Deacons (6-0, 0-0 ACC) and the sixth-ranked Volunteers (4-2, 0-0 ACC). Sunday's contest marked Wake Forest's most attended match since last season's 4-2 victory over No. 19 Duke.
Of note, the Demon Deacons earned their 14th top-25 win in the past three seasons with the victory over the Volunteers. Additionally, Wake Forest has now won 32-consecutive home matches, dating back to last season.
After trailing 3-2 with just two courts still in play, junior Luciano Tacchi and graduate student Jurabek Karimov earned theatric singles victories on Courts 3 and 4 to capture the Deacs' fifth win of the season. With Sunday's result, the Demon Deacons have now won five of their last six matches against the Volunteers.
Against Queens, Wake Forest earned the doubles point and collected four of the six singles points en route to a 5-2 decision over the Royals. Sunday's win against Queens improved the Deacs to 13-0 against schools in the state of North Carolina since the beginning of the 2022 campaign.
With the two victories Sunday, Wake Forest improved its non-conference record to an impressive 46-12 over the past three seasons.
The Demon Deacons will return to action Friday when they host ITA Kickoff Weekend inside the Indoor Tennis Center at Wake Forest.
Match #1 - Tennessee
How It Happened
- Wake Forest opened the contest winning second doubles as Jurabek Karimov and Luciano Tacchi defeated Emilie Hudd/Martim Prata, 6-2.
- Karimov/Tacchi are now 3-0 in doubles action this season.
- Tennessee quickly responded as Johannus Monday/Pat Harper reeled off three-straight sets en route to a 6-2 victory over No. 30 Filippo Moroni/Juan Lopez de Azcona.
- With doubles action tied 1-1, Shunsuke Mitsui/Angel Diaz defeated Melios Efstathiou/Matthew Thomson, 6-3, to seal the doubles point for the Volunteers.
- Facing a 1-0 deficit as a result of dropping the doubles point, Wake Forest came out strong as the Deacs won the first set in five of the six singles contests.
- Tennessee quickly extended its lead to 2-0 as No. 59 Mitsui defeated Moroni, 6-4, 6-3.
- Prior to Sunday's loss to Mitsui, Moroni held a 14-3 dual singles record over the past two seasons.
- Thomson notched the Deacs first point as he earned a 6-3, 6-2 win on Court 5 over Kozlov Boris.
- Efstathiou then evened the ledger (2-2) as he notched a 6-4, 6-4 singles win in first singles over Johannus Monday.
- Tennessee took the lead as Angel Diaz stormed back from a first set loss to defeat Lopez de Azcona 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.
- Trailing 3-2, Wake Forest needed victories on both remaining courts to win the contest.
- Tacchi then defeated No. 86 Blaise Bicknell (7-5, 4-6, 6-3) to even the score, 3-3.
- Of note, Tacchi has yet to lose a duals singles match in his career.
- After winning the first set of his match versus No. 81 Hudd in commanding fashion, Karimov faced a 5-2 deficit in set two before roaring back to win the set, 7-6 (9-7).
- Karimov's 6-4, 7-6 (9-7) win over No. 81 Hudd clinched the win for Wake Forest.
- No. 14 Wake Forest defeated No. 6 Tennessee, 4-3.
1. Melios Efstathiou (WFU) def. Johannus Monday (UTMEN) 6-4, 6-4
2. Shunsuke Mitsui (UTMEN) def. Filippo Moroni (WFU) 6-4, 6-3
3. Jurabek Karimov (WFU) def. Emile Hudd (UTMEN) 6-4, 7-6 (9-7)
4. Luciano Tacchi (WFU) def. Blaise Bicknell (UTMEN) 7-5, 4-6, 6-3
5. Matthew Thomson (WFU) def. Boris Kozlov (UTMEN) 6-3, 6-2
6. Angel Diaz (UTMEN) def. Juan Lopez de Azcona (WFU) 4-6, 6-1, 6-2
Doubles Results
1. Johannus Monday/Pat Harper (UTMEN) def. Juan Lopez de Azcona/Filippo Moroni (WFU) 6-2
2. Luciano Tacchi/Jurabek Karimov (WFU) def. Emile Hudd/Martim Prata (UTMEN) 6-2
3. Shunsuke Mitsui/Angel Diaz (UTMEN) def. Melios Efstathiou/Matthew Thomson (WFU) 6-3
Match #2 - Queens
How It Happened
- The Demon Deacons quickly earned the doubles point behind victories on Courts 1 and 3 by No. 30 Moroni/Lopez de Azcona and Thomson/Efstathiou.
- Despite leading 4-2 through six games, Karimov and Tacchi were unable to complete their doubles match as a result of the Deacs clinching the point.
- After leading 1-0 heading into singles action, Wake Forest came out strong as Efstathiou quickly gave the Deacs a 2-0 lead with a 6-0, 6-2 victory.
- The Demon Deacons then extended their lead to 3-0 as Moroni upended Edoardo Cecere of Queens, 6-3, 6-2.
- Queens narrowed the deficit to 3-1 when Laurenz Blickwede defeated Vikas Deo.
- The match marked Deo's first complete match of the 2023 campaign.
- Shortly after, Thomson earned a 7-6 (10-8), 6-2 victory on Court 3 to secure the victory and give the Deacs a commanding 4-1 lead.
- The two sides decided to play out the remainder of the contest although Wake Forest clinched the victory with Thomson's win.
- Milan Gonela defeated Togan Makzume, earning another point for the Royals with only one contest remaining.
- In his first career appearance, freshman Ernesto Requena earned a victory over Lukas Gosselin to conclude the match.
- Wake Forest came away victorious, earning a 5-2 decision over Queens.
1. Filippo Moroni (WFU) def. CECERE, Edoardo (QUM) 6-3, 6-2
2. Melios Efstathiou (WFU) def. BOTTINO, Edoardo (QUM) 6-0, 6-2
3. Matthew Thomson (WFU) def. STEVEKER, Win (QUM) 7-6 (10-8), 6-2
4. BLICKWEDE, Laurenz (QUM) def. Vikas Deo (WFU) 6-4, 6-3
5. GONELA, Milan (QUM) def. Togan Makzume (WFU) 8-5
6. Ernesto Requena (WFU) def. GOSSELIN, Lukas (QUM) 8-6
Doubles Results
1. Filippo Moroni/Juan Lopez de Azcona (WFU) def. BLICKWEDE, Laurenz/BOTTINO, Edoardo (QUM) 6-1
2. Jurabek Karimov/Luciano Tacchi (WFU) vs. GONELA, Milan/CECERE, Edoardo (QUM) 4-2, unfinished
3. Matthew Thomson/Melios Efstathiou (WFU) def. LYNES, Euan/MCNAMARA, Quinton (QUM) 6-0
From Coach Bresky
"Today's win over Tennessee was a really gutsy performance by our guys. We dropped the doubles point which isn't ideal when facing a high-level team, but we were able to bounce back, winning four of the singles matches. Tennessee is a really good team and a perennial top-five program every season, so getting that win this early in the season is good for us. I'm just proud of how our team competed. I was also proud of how we came back and played a second match shortly after. These double-headers really show our toughness and fitness as a group." - Coach Tony Bresky
Up Next
The Demon Deacons will return to action Friday when they host ITA Kickoff Weekend at the Indoor Tennis Center at Wake Forest.
Follow the Deacs:
GoDeacs.com | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
#1 Singles Match
12
Johannus Monday / 0 [UTMEN]
44
66
#2 Singles Match
12
Shunsuke Mitsui / 0 [UTMEN]
66
43
#3 Singles Match
12
Emile Hudd / 0 [UTMEN]
46
67
#4 Singles Match
123
Blaise Bicknell / 0 [UTMEN]
563
746
#5 Singles Match
12
Boris Kozlov / 0 [UTMEN]
32
66
#6 Singles Match
123
Angel Diaz / 0 [UTMEN]
466
612
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
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