Wake Forest Prepped for NCAA Quarterfinal Matchup with Virginia

Thursday, May 16

Stillwater, OK

7:30 p.m.

Wake Forest University

#2 [3] Virginia

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Wake Forest Prepped for NCAA Quarterfinal Matchup with Virginia

5/15/2024 1:57:00 PM | Men's Tennis

The Demon Deacons are seeking their first final four appearance since 2019.

By: Isaiah Green

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – After returning to the NCAA Tournament final site for the first time in the past five seasons, the No. 6-seeded Wake Forest men's tennis team will face defending back-to-back national champion, No. 2-ranked and No. 3-seeded Virginia Thursday evening at the Greenwood Tennis Center in Stillwater, Okla.

First serve between the Demon Deacons and the Cavaliers is slated for 7:30 p.m. (EST), and the match can be streamed via ESPN+.

NCAA Elite Eight Schedule

Thursday, May 16 (All times EST)
- Ohio State vs. Columbia (12 p.m.)
- TCU vs. Kentucky (2:30 p.m.)
- Texas vs. Tennessee (5 p.m.)
- Virginia vs. Wake Forest (7:30 p.m.)
  - Watch | Live Stats

The Matchup - Virginia
The defending back-to-back national champions have accumulated a 25-5 ledger this season and are looking to become the first team to three-peat since doing so from 2015-17. Overall, Virginia has won six of the last 10 national titles.

Ranked Cavaliers

Singles
- No. 3 - Chris Rodesch
- No. 33 - Inaki Montes
- No. 52 - Dylan Dietrich
- No. 61 - Jeffrey Von der Schulenburg
Doubles
- No. 5 - Inaki Montes/James Hopper

Thursday will mark the 77th all-time meeting between the Demon Deacons and the Cavaliers, as Virginia owns a 52-24 record. Of note, the Deacs are seeking their first win over the Cavaliers since 2020.

Last Time Out (vs. Stanford)
No. 6 seed Wake Forest punched its ticket to the NCAA Quarterfinals, defeating Stanford, 4-1, Friday evening at the Wake Forest Tennis Complex.

With the victory, the Demon Deacons (30-6, 10-2 ACC) reached the Elite Eight for the fourth time in program history and the first time since 2019.

For the third-consecutive match, the Deacs took a 1-0 lead after clinching the doubles point. Despite Stanford winning the first set on four courts, Wake Forest extended its advantage to 3-0 behind wins from No. 79 DK Suresh Ekambaram and Luca Pow.

Of note, Suresh Ekambaram defeated No. 55 Samir Banerjee in three sets, marking his 10th victory over a ranked foe this season. Additionally, Pow's win marked his 18th-straight.

Stanford narrowed its deficit, taking first singles, but the Demon Deacons immediately responded with a victory on court four to clinch the match, 4-1.

Sustained Success
This season marked the Demon Deacons' 11th-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and their 23rd all-time.

Demon Deacons in the NCAA Tournament
NCAA Championships (1)
2018
NCAA Tournament Appearances (23)
1998, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024

ITA Rankings
In the latest ITA Team Rankings, Wake Forest was ranked sixth nationally, marking the 13th-consecutive week the Demon Deacons have been ranked in the top 10.

Singles

25	Filippo Moroni
79	DK Suresh Ekambaram
111	Franco Capalbo
124	Luciano Tacchi

Doubles

2	DK Suresh/Holden Koons

All-ACC Accolades
Filippo Moroni, DK Suresh Ekambaram and Holden Koons earned All-ACC accolades during the 2024 campaign.

Moroni and Suresh Ekambaram were named Second Team All-ACC in singles, while the pairing of Suresh Ekambaram/Koons garnered First Team All-ACC honors in doubles.

Lineup Depth
The Demon Deacons have seen much of their success come at the 4-6 positions this season as Luciano Tacchi, Luca Pow and Holden Koons have combined to go a stellar 68-16 in dual singles action.

Of note, Pow is currently on an 18-match winning streak.

Next Up
The winner of Thursday's contest will move on to face either Texas or Tennessee on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. in the national semifinal.

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