Sunday, March 2
Winston-Salem, N.C.
12 p.m.
Wake Forest University
4
vs
1
California
Photo by: Helen McGinnis / Wake Forest Athletics
Deacs Knock Off No. 22 California and North Carolina Wesleyan in Sunday Doubleheader Sweep
3/2/2025 7:23:00 PM | Men's Tennis
Wake Forest is now 13-0 at home this season.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The No. 1-ranked Wake Forest men's tennis team (19-0, 2-0 ACC) continued its winning ways in a home doubleheader on Sunday (March 2). The Demon Deacons first defeated No. 22 California (7-2, 0-2 ACC) in a 4-1 victory before taking down North Carolina Wesleyan (0-2, 0-0 USA South), 7-0, to finish the evening.
Sunday featured Wake Forest's first-ever matchup with California. The team's win over No. 6 Stanford on Friday (Feb. 28) secured a regular-season sweep over the league's West Coast newcomers.
The Deacs also moved to 4-0 all-time versus North Carolina Wesleyan, holding their first meeting since April 17, 2022.
Graduate student Ioannis Xilas has piled in a team-leading 10 singles wins through the spring. Junior DK Suresh Ekambaram moved to 8-3 on the season and is still undefeated when competing in first singles, now standing at 4-0. Xilas, Suresh Ekambaram and sophomore Luca Pow all earned ranked victories in singles during the California matchup.
Wake Forest remains perfect in winning the doubles point this year, now having done so in each of its 19 appearances. The team is also a combined 70-22 in singles and 39-7 in doubles so far this spring.
The Deacs are 13-0 at home this season and 31-1 dating back to the start of the 2024 spring campaign.
Match 1
No. 1 Wake Forest 4, No. 22 California 1
The Deacs played a balanced match from the start versus the Golden Bears, with DK Suresh Ekambaram/Charlie Robertson setting the tone in doubles. The pairing picked up a top-25 win while upping their record to 4-0 together this week. Luciano Tacchi/Luca Pow continued to prove their high national ranking by securing the doubles point.
Singles action featured a top-five ranked win for Suresh Ekambaram, as he downed No. 5 Carl Emil Overbeck in straight sets. Pow also won his match in two frames before Ioannis Xilas finished out the contest in second singles.
How It Happened
Singles Results
1. No. 9 DK Suresh Ekambaram (WFU) def. No. 5 Carl Emil Overbeck (CAL) 6-3, 6-4
2. No. 56 Ioannis Xilas (WFU) def. No. 70 Alex Chang (CAL) 7-6 (1), 6-2
3. No. 32 Theo Dean (CAL) def. Luciano Tacchi (WFU) 4-6, 6-7 (3-7)
4. Charlie Robertson (WFU) vs. Timofey Stepanov (CAL) 6-4, 5-6, unfinished
5. Luca Pow (WFU) def. No. 83 Derrick Chen (CAL) 6-2, 6-4
6. Franco Capalbo (WFU) vs. Lechno-Wasiutynski (CAL) 4-6, 6-2, 1-0, unfinished
Order of finish: 1, 5, 3, 2
Doubles Results
1. Suresh/Robertson (WFU) def. No. 25 Overbeck/Dean (CAL) 6-3
2. No. 3 Tacchi/Pow (WFU) def. Chang/Chen (CAL) 7-5
3. Wright/Wasiutynski (CAL) def. No. 75 Capalbo/Xilas (WFU) 4-6
Order of finish: 1, 3, 2
Match 2
No. 1 Wake Forest 7, North Carolina Wesleyan 0
Several Wake Forest underclassmen shined in the win over the Battling Bishops, headlined by freshman Joaquin Guilleme's straight-sets win in first singles.
The Deacs captured their ninth sweep of the spring, as three individuals won their solo matches in two frames of play. Fellow freshmen Cornelius Shalmi and Aditya Vyas joined their classmate, Guilleme, in that feat.
How It Happened
Singles Results
1. Joaquin Guilleme (WFU) def. Diego Segovia (NCW) 6-1, 6-0
2. Harry Thursfield (WFU) def. Luca Knese (NCW) 4-6, 7-5, 1-0 (9)
3. Cornelius Shalmi (WFU) def. Albert Sitwell (NCW) 6-1, 6-4
4. Dylan Chang (WFU) def. Bohdan Zhylchuk (NCW) 5-7, 6-4, 1-0 (8)
5. Nikola Parichkov (WFU) def. Shori Nishizoe (NCW) 6-1, 4-6, 1-0 (3)
6. Aditya Vyas (WFU) def. Alvaro Gomez (NCW) 6-0, 6-2
Order of finish: 1, 6, 3, 5, 2, 4
Doubles Results
1. Thursfield/Chang (WFU) def. Luca Knese/Albert Sitwell (NCW) 6-2
2. Guilleme/Parichkov (WFU) def. Diego Segovia/Bernardo Messineo (NCW) 7-5
3. Shalmi/Vyas (WFU) def. Shori Nishizoe/Logan Stolz (NCW) 7-6 (5)
Order of finish: 1, 2, 3
From Coach Bresky
"We were very excited to get another ACC home win this afternoon – Cal has an excellent team. We did a good job adjusting from outdoors to indoors, battling through the challenges and adversity that often comes with that. It was good to get another match in later today so that some of our guys could see additional time. We did well with the sweep, and I felt those guys made the most of their action, as they will continue to help all of us moving forward. We're happy with today's results and looking forward to next weekend on the road." - head coach Tony Bresky
Next Up
Wake Forest will compete out of state this upcoming week, visiting Virginia Tech on Friday afternoon (March 7) before facing No. 5 Virginia for a Sunday showing.
Follow the Deacs
GoDeacs.com | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Sunday featured Wake Forest's first-ever matchup with California. The team's win over No. 6 Stanford on Friday (Feb. 28) secured a regular-season sweep over the league's West Coast newcomers.
The Deacs also moved to 4-0 all-time versus North Carolina Wesleyan, holding their first meeting since April 17, 2022.
Graduate student Ioannis Xilas has piled in a team-leading 10 singles wins through the spring. Junior DK Suresh Ekambaram moved to 8-3 on the season and is still undefeated when competing in first singles, now standing at 4-0. Xilas, Suresh Ekambaram and sophomore Luca Pow all earned ranked victories in singles during the California matchup.
Wake Forest remains perfect in winning the doubles point this year, now having done so in each of its 19 appearances. The team is also a combined 70-22 in singles and 39-7 in doubles so far this spring.
The Deacs are 13-0 at home this season and 31-1 dating back to the start of the 2024 spring campaign.
Match 1
No. 1 Wake Forest 4, No. 22 California 1
The Deacs played a balanced match from the start versus the Golden Bears, with DK Suresh Ekambaram/Charlie Robertson setting the tone in doubles. The pairing picked up a top-25 win while upping their record to 4-0 together this week. Luciano Tacchi/Luca Pow continued to prove their high national ranking by securing the doubles point.
Singles action featured a top-five ranked win for Suresh Ekambaram, as he downed No. 5 Carl Emil Overbeck in straight sets. Pow also won his match in two frames before Ioannis Xilas finished out the contest in second singles.
How It Happened
- Opening doubles play, each of the three courts were tied at 1-1 apiece through the first pair of games.
- DK Suresh Ekambaram/Charlie Robertson controlled an impressive third game to take the first lead, 2-1, before Luciano Tacchi/Luca Pow followed in a similar manner.
- In third doubles, Ioannis Xilas/Franco Capalbo dominated a fourth game to even their board at 2-2.
- Suresh Ekambaram/Robertson worked to stay in front with a break, 4-2.
- Xilas/Capalbo, meanwhile, split two more games (3-3).
- Tacchi/Pow soon took the slight edge in second doubles with a 4-3 lead.
- Suresh Ekambaram/Robertson maintained focus to capture a first doubles victory, 6-3.
- It marked the first ranked win for the pair as a duo.
- Tacchi/Pow saw their margin evened at 5-5.
- California took third doubles in a 6-4 decision.
- Tacchi/Pow quickly found momentum late to finish the deed in second doubles, grabbing a 7-5 victory.
- Wake Forest won the doubles point over the Golden Bears.
- Tacchi got off to a good start in third singles, winning three of his first four games.
- Suresh Ekambaram also leaped ahead on court one, 4-2.
- The junior ultimately became the first player to win a set (6-3).
- Suresh Ekambaram also leaped ahead on court one, 4-2.
- Pow soon followed with a first-set victory of his own, with Robertson doing the same several minutes later.
- In second singles, Xilas stepped into a tiebreaker, going nearly untouched in his final rallies (7-6 (1)).
- Four Deacs won their first frame in solo play.
- Suresh Ekambaram was again steady in his second set, knocking off Overbeck to add to Wake Forest's scoring column.
- The Demon Deacons went up 2-0 in the match.
- It wasn't long before Pow finished out his match in straight sets, extending his squad's lead.
- Tacchi continued his fight on court three, forcing a tiebreaker in his second set.
- California got on the board with a win in third singles.
- Xilas caught fire in his second set, going on to clinch the match for the Deacs in straight sets.
- Wake Forest defeated No. 22 California, 4-1.
Singles Results
1. No. 9 DK Suresh Ekambaram (WFU) def. No. 5 Carl Emil Overbeck (CAL) 6-3, 6-4
2. No. 56 Ioannis Xilas (WFU) def. No. 70 Alex Chang (CAL) 7-6 (1), 6-2
3. No. 32 Theo Dean (CAL) def. Luciano Tacchi (WFU) 4-6, 6-7 (3-7)
4. Charlie Robertson (WFU) vs. Timofey Stepanov (CAL) 6-4, 5-6, unfinished
5. Luca Pow (WFU) def. No. 83 Derrick Chen (CAL) 6-2, 6-4
6. Franco Capalbo (WFU) vs. Lechno-Wasiutynski (CAL) 4-6, 6-2, 1-0, unfinished
Order of finish: 1, 5, 3, 2
Doubles Results
1. Suresh/Robertson (WFU) def. No. 25 Overbeck/Dean (CAL) 6-3
2. No. 3 Tacchi/Pow (WFU) def. Chang/Chen (CAL) 7-5
3. Wright/Wasiutynski (CAL) def. No. 75 Capalbo/Xilas (WFU) 4-6
Order of finish: 1, 3, 2
Match 2
No. 1 Wake Forest 7, North Carolina Wesleyan 0
Several Wake Forest underclassmen shined in the win over the Battling Bishops, headlined by freshman Joaquin Guilleme's straight-sets win in first singles.
The Deacs captured their ninth sweep of the spring, as three individuals won their solo matches in two frames of play. Fellow freshmen Cornelius Shalmi and Aditya Vyas joined their classmate, Guilleme, in that feat.
How It Happened
- Underway in doubles, Harry Thursfield/Dylan Chang created comfort on court one with a 4-1 advantage.
- Escaping out of a tie, Joaquin Guilleme/Nikola Parichkov stepped ahead in second doubles with a 4-3 gain.
- Thursfield/Chang ended up being the first tandem to win their court, only letting up one more game down the stretch.
- Guilleme/Parichkov got North Carolina Wesleyan in a scramble late, winning their matchup, before Cornelius Shalmi/Aditya Vyas put the final touches on a tiebreaker.
- In the early stages of singles, Parichkov and Vyas each won their first three games.
- The former became the first Deac to take a set, followed by Shalmi merely moments afterward.
- Vyas did not drop a game through his first frame, sweeping on a clean 6-0 clip.
- Guilleme became the fourth Deac to win a set, only letting up one game in first singles.
- The freshman swept his second set to finish first in solo action and chip into Wake Forest's lead.
- Two more straight-set wins by Vyas and Shalmi then took place, with the latter clinching the match.
- Wake Forest played out the remaining active courts.
- Reaching a third set, Parichkov surged ahead (10-3) to win fifth singles and bump the Deacs' lead to 5-0.
- Thursfield and Chang also battled their way through three sets of action, holding on to give their team a sweep.
- Wake Forest routed North Carolina Wesleyan, 7-0.
Singles Results
1. Joaquin Guilleme (WFU) def. Diego Segovia (NCW) 6-1, 6-0
2. Harry Thursfield (WFU) def. Luca Knese (NCW) 4-6, 7-5, 1-0 (9)
3. Cornelius Shalmi (WFU) def. Albert Sitwell (NCW) 6-1, 6-4
4. Dylan Chang (WFU) def. Bohdan Zhylchuk (NCW) 5-7, 6-4, 1-0 (8)
5. Nikola Parichkov (WFU) def. Shori Nishizoe (NCW) 6-1, 4-6, 1-0 (3)
6. Aditya Vyas (WFU) def. Alvaro Gomez (NCW) 6-0, 6-2
Order of finish: 1, 6, 3, 5, 2, 4
Doubles Results
1. Thursfield/Chang (WFU) def. Luca Knese/Albert Sitwell (NCW) 6-2
2. Guilleme/Parichkov (WFU) def. Diego Segovia/Bernardo Messineo (NCW) 7-5
3. Shalmi/Vyas (WFU) def. Shori Nishizoe/Logan Stolz (NCW) 7-6 (5)
Order of finish: 1, 2, 3
From Coach Bresky
"We were very excited to get another ACC home win this afternoon – Cal has an excellent team. We did a good job adjusting from outdoors to indoors, battling through the challenges and adversity that often comes with that. It was good to get another match in later today so that some of our guys could see additional time. We did well with the sweep, and I felt those guys made the most of their action, as they will continue to help all of us moving forward. We're happy with today's results and looking forward to next weekend on the road." - head coach Tony Bresky
Next Up
Wake Forest will compete out of state this upcoming week, visiting Virginia Tech on Friday afternoon (March 7) before facing No. 5 Virginia for a Sunday showing.
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
Carl Emil Overbeck / 0 (5/-) [CAL]
34
66
#2 Singles Match
12
Alex Chang / 0 (70/-) [CAL]
62
76
#3 Singles Match
12
Theo Dean / 0 (32/-) [CAL]
67
46
#4 Singles Match
123
Timofey Stepanov / 0 [CAL]
460
65UF
#5 Singles Match
12
Derrick Chen / 0 (83/-) [CAL]
24
66
#6 Singles Match
1234
Lechno-Wasiutynski / 0 [CAL]
6200
461UF
Order of Finish:
1,5,3,2
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
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
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