Friday, February 14
Dallas, TX
4:30 p.m. (ET)
Wake Forest University
4
at
0
SMU
Top-Seeded Demon Deacons Defeat SMU, Advance to Quarterfinals of ITA National Indoors
2/14/2025 7:49:00 PM | Men's Tennis
The Demon Deacons will take on the winner of Kentucky and NC State tomorrow at 4:30 p.m. eastern.
DALLAS – Advancing to the quarterfinals for the second-consecutive season, the Wake Forest men's tennis team defeated hosts SMU, 4-0, in the ITA National Indoor Championship round of 16 Friday afternoon in Dallas, Texas.
Wake Forest will now await the winner of fourth-seeded Kentucky and fifth-seeded NC State. The second round match will take place tomorrow, Feb. 15 at 4:30 p.m. eastern. The matches will continue to be streamed on the ITA YouTube channel.
The Demon Deacons (11-0, 0-0 ACC) have now started the season 11-0 for the first time since the National Championship run in 2018 (14-0) and have swept in eight of the nine opening matches. Wake Forest is also a combined 40-8 in singles and 22-3 in doubles so far this campaign, taking all 11 doubles points.
The No. 30-ranked pair in the nation comprising of junior DK Suresh Ekambaram and graduate student Stefan Dostanic picked up a 6-3 win on court one as the duo improved to 5-0 on the year. The Deacs clinched the doubles point with another 6-3 win by graduate students Ioannis Xilas and Franco Capalbo.
In singles, sophomore standout Luca Pow claimed the first win of the day on court six as he defeated Noah McDonald (6-2, 6-1) followed by Suresh with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Jerry Barton on court two.
Wake Forest clinched the match with a 7-5, 6-0 win from graduate student Luciano Tacchi in fifth singles over Maks Silagy.
Of note, Pow and Tacchi now lead the team with seven singles wins so far this campaign.
The Demon Deacons are now 2-3 all-time against the Mustangs. This marked the first match between the two schools since 1999.
Tournament Schedule (All Times Central)
Day One (Feb. 14)
1. No. 17 Stefan Dostanic (WFU) vs. No. 70 Trevor Svajda (SMU) 7-6(7-5), 3-1, unfinished
2. No. 7 DK Suresh Ekambaram (WFU) def. Jerry Barton (SMU) 6-4, 6-4
3. No. 98 Charlie Robertson (WFU) vs. Ofek Shimanov (SMU) 7-6(7-5), 4-1, unfinished
4. No. 100 Ioannis Xilas (WFU) vs. Georgi Georgiev (SMU) 4-6, 3-2, unfinished
5. Luciano Tacchi (WFU) def. Maks Silagy (SMU) 7-5, 6-0
6. Luca Pow (WFU) def. Noah McDonald (SMU) 6-2, 6-1
Order of finish: 6, 2, 5
Doubles Results
1. No. 30 Suresh/Dostanic (WFU) def. Silagy/Georgiev (SMU) 6-3
2. No. 3 Tacchi/Pow (WFU) vs. Svajda/Cloud (SMU) 6-6
3. Capalbo/Xilas (WFU) def. Deo/Calvelo (SMU) 6-3
Order of finish: 1, 3
From Coach Bresky
"Exciting second round of national indoors. SMU has done a great job of putting on this event. They have a very good team. It's always tough to play the home school on Friday night of the first match. It was nice, I feel like we have the experience now. We've been on the road at tough places like Baylor and Columbia and we've played at home in front of a big crowd. The team handled it well. We had some tough first sets and it was nice to get through some of those. We're excited about competing the quarterfinals tomorrow " - Head coach Tony Bresky
Next Up
The Demon Deacons will now take on the winner of (4) Kentucky and (5) NC State tomorrow at 4:30 p.m. eastern.
Follow the Deacs
GoDeacs.com | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Wake Forest will now await the winner of fourth-seeded Kentucky and fifth-seeded NC State. The second round match will take place tomorrow, Feb. 15 at 4:30 p.m. eastern. The matches will continue to be streamed on the ITA YouTube channel.
The Demon Deacons (11-0, 0-0 ACC) have now started the season 11-0 for the first time since the National Championship run in 2018 (14-0) and have swept in eight of the nine opening matches. Wake Forest is also a combined 40-8 in singles and 22-3 in doubles so far this campaign, taking all 11 doubles points.
The No. 30-ranked pair in the nation comprising of junior DK Suresh Ekambaram and graduate student Stefan Dostanic picked up a 6-3 win on court one as the duo improved to 5-0 on the year. The Deacs clinched the doubles point with another 6-3 win by graduate students Ioannis Xilas and Franco Capalbo.
In singles, sophomore standout Luca Pow claimed the first win of the day on court six as he defeated Noah McDonald (6-2, 6-1) followed by Suresh with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Jerry Barton on court two.
Wake Forest clinched the match with a 7-5, 6-0 win from graduate student Luciano Tacchi in fifth singles over Maks Silagy.
Of note, Pow and Tacchi now lead the team with seven singles wins so far this campaign.
The Demon Deacons are now 2-3 all-time against the Mustangs. This marked the first match between the two schools since 1999.
Tournament Schedule (All Times Central)
Day One (Feb. 14)
- Main Draw
- Match 1 | (2) Virginia def. (7) Michigan, 4-2 | Site: SMU
- Match 2 | (7) UCF def. (2) Ohio State, 4-2 | Site: Baylor
- Match 3 | (3) Texas def. (6) Texas A&M, 4-1 | Site: SMU
- Match 4 | (6) Stanford def. (3) Columbia, 4-1 | Site: Baylor
- Match 5 | (1) Wake Forest def. (8) SMU, 4-0 | Site: SMU
- Match 6 | Time: 3:30 p.m. | Teams: (4) Duke vs (5) San Diego | Site: Baylor
- Match 7 | Time: 6:30 pm | Teams: (4) Kentucky vs (5) NC State | Site: SMU
- Match 8 | Time: 6:30 pm | Teams: (1) TCU vs (8) Baylor | Site: Baylor
- Main Draw
- Match 9 | Time: 12:00 pm | (2) Virginia vs. (3) Texas | Site: SMU
- Match 10 | Time: 12:00 pm | (6) Stanford vs. (7) UCF | Site: Baylor
- Match 11 | Time: 3:30 pm | (1) Wake Forest vs. TBD | Site: SMU
- Match 12 | Time: 3:30 pm | Teams: TBD | Site: Baylor
- Back Draw
- Match 1C | Time: 9:00 am | Teams: TBD | Site: SMU
- Match 2C | Time: 9:00 am | Teams: TBD | Site: Baylor
- Match 3C | Time: 6:30 pm | Teams: TBD | Site: SMU
- Match 4C | Time: 6:30 pm | Teams: TBD | Site: Baylor
- Back Draw
- Match 5C | Time: 1:00 pm | Teams: TBD | Site: SMU
- Match 6C | Time: 12:00 pm | Teams: TBD | Site: Baylor
- Match 7C | Time: 4:00 pm | Teams: TBD | Site: SMU
- Match 8C | Time: 3:30 pm | Teams: TBD | Site: Baylor
- Match 9C | Time: 7:30 pm | Teams: TBD | Site: SMU
- Match 10C | Time: 6:30 pm | Teams: TBD | Site: Baylor
- Main Draw
- Match 13 | Time: 3:30 pm | Teams: TBD | Site: SMU
- Match 14 | Time: 6:30 pm | Teams: TBD | Site: SMU
- Main Draw
- Match 15 | Time: 6:30 pm | Teams: TBD | Site: SMU
- In doubles, Tacchi and Pow earned the first break on court two.
- On court one, Suresh and Dostanic surged to a 6-3 victory and remained perfect together as a pair.
- Wake Forest clinched the doubles point with another 6-3 victory on court three with Xilas and Capalbo getting the win.
- Wake Forest dominated early on court five and six, with Tacchi and Pow going up a break at the first opportunity.
- Pow was the first Demon Deacon to claim a first set (6-2) in sixth singles followed by Suresh (6-4) on court two.
- The Mustangs took the first on court four.
- Tacchi was the third Demon Deacon to take a set, 7-5, on court five.
- Wake Forest eventually took the first set on five of the six singles courts as Dostanic and Robertson edged out close tiebreakers on courts one and three, respectively.
- Continuing his dominant showing, Pow quickly handled Noah McDonald and put Wake Forest up 2-0.
- Suresh moved the Deacs to within one court away from advancing as he defeated Jerry Barton in second singles.
- Wake Forest clinched the match with a 7-5, 6-0 victory from Tacchi and secured its spot in the quarterfinals.
- The remaining three matches went unfinished.
1. No. 17 Stefan Dostanic (WFU) vs. No. 70 Trevor Svajda (SMU) 7-6(7-5), 3-1, unfinished
2. No. 7 DK Suresh Ekambaram (WFU) def. Jerry Barton (SMU) 6-4, 6-4
3. No. 98 Charlie Robertson (WFU) vs. Ofek Shimanov (SMU) 7-6(7-5), 4-1, unfinished
4. No. 100 Ioannis Xilas (WFU) vs. Georgi Georgiev (SMU) 4-6, 3-2, unfinished
5. Luciano Tacchi (WFU) def. Maks Silagy (SMU) 7-5, 6-0
6. Luca Pow (WFU) def. Noah McDonald (SMU) 6-2, 6-1
Order of finish: 6, 2, 5
Doubles Results
1. No. 30 Suresh/Dostanic (WFU) def. Silagy/Georgiev (SMU) 6-3
2. No. 3 Tacchi/Pow (WFU) vs. Svajda/Cloud (SMU) 6-6
3. Capalbo/Xilas (WFU) def. Deo/Calvelo (SMU) 6-3
Order of finish: 1, 3
From Coach Bresky
"Exciting second round of national indoors. SMU has done a great job of putting on this event. They have a very good team. It's always tough to play the home school on Friday night of the first match. It was nice, I feel like we have the experience now. We've been on the road at tough places like Baylor and Columbia and we've played at home in front of a big crowd. The team handled it well. We had some tough first sets and it was nice to get through some of those. We're excited about competing the quarterfinals tomorrow " - Head coach Tony Bresky
Next Up
The Demon Deacons will now take on the winner of (4) Kentucky and (5) NC State tomorrow at 4:30 p.m. eastern.
Follow the Deacs
GoDeacs.com | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
1,3
#1 Singles Match
123
730
Trevor Svajda / 0 (70/-) [SMU]
61UF
#2 Singles Match
12
66
Jerry Barton / 0 [SMU]
44
#3 Singles Match
123
740
Ofek Shimanov / 0 [SMU]
61UF
#4 Singles Match
123
430
Georgi Georgiev / 0 [SMU]
62UF
#5 Singles Match
12
76
Maks Silagy / 0 [SMU]
50
#6 Singles Match
12
66
Noah McDonald / 0 [SMU]
21
Order of Finish:
2,5
Players Mentioned
/ 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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