University of North Carolina Athletics
From Fetzer To Finley
January 30, 2003 | Men's Tennis
Jan. 30, 2003
By Dave Lohse
Associate Athletic Communications Director
Defending Atlantic Coast Conference champion North Carolina enters the 2003 men's tennis season with a veteran team that could well bring home another title to Chapel Hill. But it won't be easy. Defending championships is oftimes much more difficult than winning the initial title.
When Carolina ended Duke's long championship run a year ago it came as somewhat of a surprise. The Tar Heels were an excellent team but they lost a heartbreaker at Duke 4-3 in the regular season, Certainly the hangover of a tough loss like that can linger with a team.
Carolina entered the ACC Tournament with resolve, however, and when Georgia Tech shocked Duke 4-0 in the semifinals, the Tar Heels seized on the good fortune. Later the same afternoon UNC gutted out a 4-2 win over Wake Forest and the following day Carolina claimed the title with a thrill seeking 4-3 conquest of the Yellow Jackets.
Now comes the hard job of repeating in a super competitive league whose balance now rivals that of the Southeastern Conference and the Pac 10.
UNC returns eight lettermen and welcomes four outstanding newcomers as Coach Sam Paul hopes to lead the Tar Heels to their 11th NCAA Tournament bid in the past 12 seasons.
The 2002-2003 school year marks the 50th year of Atlantic Coast Conference competition in all sports and Carolina has enjoyed more success in men's tennis than in any other sport. With last year's ACC title UNC has now won 25 of the first 49 championships decided in the sport.
With a strong returning cast, the Tar Heels look to add to that legacy in 2003. However, Paul must replace one of the best players in the ACC, Marcio Petrone, the lone loss to graduation from last year's squad which finished with a 19-6 record overall (7-1 in ACC dual matches). Petrone, a three-time All-ACC selection and the Most Valuable Player of the 2002 ACC Tournament, was 26-8 in singles and 19-8 in doubles as a senior. He won the clinching match in six of UNC's 19 victories a year ago.
The Tar Heels will be led in 2003 by five letter winners who started in singles last season. Senior Trystan Meniane of Martinique, France enters the season ranked #17 in the nation in the ITA singles rankings. A year ago Meniane played #2 singles for the Tar Heels with a record of 26-11 in singles and 24-9 in doubles. He had four match clinching wins, second most on the team, including the victory that lifted the Tar Heels past Georgia Tech in the ACC championship match.
Other returning starters in singles include junior Nick Monroe of Olathe, Kan., junior Andy Metzler of Kansas City, Mo., sophomore Geoff Boyd of Atlanta, Ga. and freshman Daniel Pinchbeck of Edmondson Park, New South Wales. Both Monroe and Metzler were All-Atlantic Coast Conference selections last season. Monroe, who played #4 singles last season, enters this season ranked #61 in singles by the ITA.
Metzler, who transferred to Carolina prior to last season from Kansas, had a great sophomore year. He finished 25-10 in singles and had three match winners. Boyd, who teamed last season with Meniane in doubles, played most of the 2002 campaign at the #5 singles spot. Pinchbeck, whose sister Kate play on the Tar Heels' women's team, was a pleasant find for the 2002 Heels. He stepped right into the lineup and played great all season. He had an overall singles record of 23-4, including a 21-2 mark in dual matches. His overall doubles record was 22-8.
In addition to the five returning singles starters, the Tar Heels also return three other letter winners, all of whom are capable of stepping into a void in the lineup. Senior Greg Archer of Beachwood, N.J., had an outstanding junior season playing doubles with Petrone, finishing 15-7 overall, mostly at the #1 spot. The other two letter winners are junior Ben Aiken of Lookout Mountain, Tenn. and sophomore Jonathan Janda of Shelby, N.C.
Coach Paul also welcomes four outstanding newcomers who will compete for spots in the starting lineup this year. Freshman Derek Porter of Coral Springs, Fla. comes to Carolina after being ranked in the Top 30 in the Boys 18s singles and in the Top 15 in the Boys 18s doubles. Brad Pomeroy, a freshman from Asheville, N.C., was a three-time high school state champion at T.C. Roberson High School. Other newcomers are junior Jeremy Ledford of Flat Rock, N.C., who made the team as a walkon, and freshman P.J. Petrides of Chapel Hill, N.C.
This will be the cast Paul works with as UNC tries to mount the victory podium a second straight year. The coach knows defending is a tricky situation. It always is.
Players Mentioned
