Saturday, February 15
Dallas, Texas
4:30 p.m. (ET)
Wake Forest University
4
vs
2
NC State
Top-Seeded Demon Deacons Advance to ITA National Indoor Semifinals
2/15/2025 9:28:00 PM | Men's Tennis
Wake Forest will take on the Texas Longhorns on Monday, Feb. 17.
DALLAS – For the second-consecutive season, the Wake Forest men's tennis team has advanced to the ITA National Indoor semifinals as it defeated Big Four foe NC State, 4-2, Saturday afternoon in Dallas, Texas.
Wake Forest will now take on third-seeded Texas on Monday, Feb. 17. The semifinal match will take place Monday, Feb. 17 at 4:30 p.m. eastern. The matches will continue to be streamed on the ITA YouTube channel.
The Demon Deacons (12-0, 0-0 ACC) have now started the season 12-0 for the first time since the National Championship run in 2018 (14-0). Wake Forest is also a combined 43-10 in singles and 24-4 in doubles so far this campaign, taking all 12 doubles points.
The Wolfpack (7-3, 0-0 ACC) had an early advantage in doubles with a win on court one, but graduate students Ioannis Xilas and Franco Capalbo improved to 5-1 together this season and defeated Manning/Nedelchev, 6-3.
With the doubles point riding on the shoulders of sophomore Luca Pow and graduate student Luciano Tacchi, the Wake Forest duo downed No. 33 Leroux/Staeheli, 6-4. The No. 3-ranked pair in the nation have a team-high seven wins together this season with four coming against ranked opponents.
In first singles, graduate student Stefan Dostanic held strong in two set-tiebreaks and defeated No. 16 Braden Shick 7-6(4), 7-6(3). He is now 5-1 with Wake Forest and leads the team with four ranked wins.
Pow and Tacchi carried the momentum from doubles to singles, as both picked up wins and secured Wake Forest's spot in the semifinals. Tacchi came back from down a break in the third set and beat Nikolay Nedelchev (6-3, 3-6, 6-3). Pow then clinched the match with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 win over Jules Leroux on court six. Of note, Pow and Tacchi are tied for the most singles wins on the team with eight apiece.
With the win, Wake Forest improved to 46-12 all-time against NC State and holds three-consecutive wins against the Wolfpack.
If the Demon Deacons defeat the Longhorns on Monday, they will take on the winner of (1) TCU and (6) Stanford in the championship match on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. eastern.
Main Draw Results/Schedule
Day One (Feb. 14)
1. No. 17 Stefan Dostanic (WFU) def. No. 16 Braden Shick (NCST) 7-6(4), 7-6(3)
2. No. 45 Martin Borisiouk (NCST) def. No. 7 DK Suresh Ekambaram (WFU) 3-6, 6-4, 6-3
3. No. 110 Luca Staeheli (NCST) def. No. 98 Charlie Robertson (WFU) 6-3, 7-6(5)
4. No. 100 Ioannis Xilas (WFU) vs. Fons Van Sambeek (NCST) 4-6, 6-4, 2-5, unfinished
5. Luciano Tacchi (WFU) def. Nikolay Nedelchev (NCST) 6-3, 3-6, 6-3
6. Luca Pow (WFU) def. Jules Leroux (NCST) 6-3, 3-6, 6-4
Order of finish: 3, 1, 5, 2, 6
Doubles Results
1. No. 28 Shick/Van Sambeek (NCST) def. No. 30 Suresh/Dostanic (WFU) 6-3
2. No. 3 Tacchi/Pow (WFU) def. No. 33 Leroux/Staeheli (NCST) 6-4
3. Capalbo/Xilas (WFU) def. Manning/Nedelchev (NCST) 6-3
Order of finish: 1, 3, 2
From Coach Bresky
"We're excited to get through to the semifinals. That was a good hard-fought match with NC State, credit to them. They have an excellent program, a lot of experienced guys so we knew it would be tough. I think it's good to get that doubles point and show our toughness in a couple thirds that's there. It's a thrill to move on and we're excited for our next challenge in semifinals against Texas" - Head coach Tony Bresky
Next Up
The Demon Deacons will now take on the Texas Longhorns in the semifinal round on Monday, Feb. 17 at 4:30 p.m. ET.
Follow the Deacs:
GoDeacs.com | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Wake Forest will now take on third-seeded Texas on Monday, Feb. 17. The semifinal match will take place Monday, Feb. 17 at 4:30 p.m. eastern. The matches will continue to be streamed on the ITA YouTube channel.
The Demon Deacons (12-0, 0-0 ACC) have now started the season 12-0 for the first time since the National Championship run in 2018 (14-0). Wake Forest is also a combined 43-10 in singles and 24-4 in doubles so far this campaign, taking all 12 doubles points.
The Wolfpack (7-3, 0-0 ACC) had an early advantage in doubles with a win on court one, but graduate students Ioannis Xilas and Franco Capalbo improved to 5-1 together this season and defeated Manning/Nedelchev, 6-3.
With the doubles point riding on the shoulders of sophomore Luca Pow and graduate student Luciano Tacchi, the Wake Forest duo downed No. 33 Leroux/Staeheli, 6-4. The No. 3-ranked pair in the nation have a team-high seven wins together this season with four coming against ranked opponents.
In first singles, graduate student Stefan Dostanic held strong in two set-tiebreaks and defeated No. 16 Braden Shick 7-6(4), 7-6(3). He is now 5-1 with Wake Forest and leads the team with four ranked wins.
Pow and Tacchi carried the momentum from doubles to singles, as both picked up wins and secured Wake Forest's spot in the semifinals. Tacchi came back from down a break in the third set and beat Nikolay Nedelchev (6-3, 3-6, 6-3). Pow then clinched the match with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 win over Jules Leroux on court six. Of note, Pow and Tacchi are tied for the most singles wins on the team with eight apiece.
With the win, Wake Forest improved to 46-12 all-time against NC State and holds three-consecutive wins against the Wolfpack.
If the Demon Deacons defeat the Longhorns on Monday, they will take on the winner of (1) TCU and (6) Stanford in the championship match on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. eastern.
Main Draw Results/Schedule
Day One (Feb. 14)
- 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 | (5) San Diego def. (4) Duke, 4-3 | Site: Baylor
- Match 7 | (5) NC State def. (4) Kentucky, 4-1 | Site: SMU
- Match 8 | (1) TCU def. (8) Baylor, 4-1 | Site: Baylor
- Match 9 | (3) Texas def. (2) Virginia, 4-1 | Site: SMU
- Match 10 | (6) Stanford def. (7) UCF, 4-0 | Site: Baylor
- Match 11 | (1) Wake Forest def. (5) NC State, 4-2 | Site: SMU
- Match 12 | (1) TCU def. (5) San Diego, 4-2 | Site: Baylor
- Match 13 | (1) Wake Forest vs. (3) Texas | Site: SMU
- Match 14 | (1) TCU vs. (6) Stanford | Site: SMU
- Match 15 | Time: 7:30 pm | Teams: TBD | Site: SMU
- The Demon Deacons earned the first break of the match as Xilas/Capalbo quickly went up 3-0 on court three.
- NC State took court one a few moments before the Demon Deacon pair on court three closed out their match, 6-3.
- In the deciding match, Pow/Tacchi battled to a 6-4 victory and sent Wake Forest into singles with a 1-0 lead.
- For the second-consecutive match, Tacchi and Suresh jumped out to early leads and were the first two Deacs to claim a first set on courts five and two, respectively.
- On court one, Dostanic battled to a 7-6 (7-4) first set victory.
- The Wolfpack took the first set on courts three, four and six.
- Pow forced a third on six while Tacchi and Suresh were pushed into one on courts two and three.
- NC State leveled the match for a brief period after a win on court three, but Dostanic gave Wake Forest the lead again with a 7-6(4), 7-6(3) victory over No. 16 Braden Shick on court one.
- After immediately going down a break in the third set, Tacchi caught fire and won five-consecutive games, eventually winning the deciding set, 6-3.
- The Wolfpack cut the deficit to 3-2 with a court two win.
- Pow clinched the victory for the Demon Deacons and sent them to the semifinals with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 win on six.
1. No. 17 Stefan Dostanic (WFU) def. No. 16 Braden Shick (NCST) 7-6(4), 7-6(3)
2. No. 45 Martin Borisiouk (NCST) def. No. 7 DK Suresh Ekambaram (WFU) 3-6, 6-4, 6-3
3. No. 110 Luca Staeheli (NCST) def. No. 98 Charlie Robertson (WFU) 6-3, 7-6(5)
4. No. 100 Ioannis Xilas (WFU) vs. Fons Van Sambeek (NCST) 4-6, 6-4, 2-5, unfinished
5. Luciano Tacchi (WFU) def. Nikolay Nedelchev (NCST) 6-3, 3-6, 6-3
6. Luca Pow (WFU) def. Jules Leroux (NCST) 6-3, 3-6, 6-4
Order of finish: 3, 1, 5, 2, 6
Doubles Results
1. No. 28 Shick/Van Sambeek (NCST) def. No. 30 Suresh/Dostanic (WFU) 6-3
2. No. 3 Tacchi/Pow (WFU) def. No. 33 Leroux/Staeheli (NCST) 6-4
3. Capalbo/Xilas (WFU) def. Manning/Nedelchev (NCST) 6-3
Order of finish: 1, 3, 2
From Coach Bresky
"We're excited to get through to the semifinals. That was a good hard-fought match with NC State, credit to them. They have an excellent program, a lot of experienced guys so we knew it would be tough. I think it's good to get that doubles point and show our toughness in a couple thirds that's there. It's a thrill to move on and we're excited for our next challenge in semifinals against Texas" - Head coach Tony Bresky
Next Up
The Demon Deacons will now take on the Texas Longhorns in the semifinal round on Monday, Feb. 17 at 4:30 p.m. ET.
Follow the Deacs:
GoDeacs.com | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
1,3,2
#1 Singles Match
12
Braden Shick / 0 (16/-) [NCSU]
66
77
#2 Singles Match
123
Martin Borisiouk / 0 (45/-) [NCSU]
366
643
#3 Singles Match
12
Luca Staeheli / 0 (110/-) [NCSU]
67
36
#4 Singles Match
1234
Fons Van Sambeek / 0 [NCSU]
6450
462UF
#5 Singles Match
123
Nikolay Nedelchev / 0 [NCSU]
363
636
#6 Singles Match
123
Jules Leroux / 0 [NCSU]
634
366
Order of Finish:
3,1,5,2,6
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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