North Carolina
Maryland
No. 9 UNC Tennis Team Snares Season's 20th Win
April 7, 2006 | Men's Tennis
April 7, 2006
COLLEGE PARK, MD. - For the third time in Sam Paul's tenure as the men's tennis coach at the University of North Carolina the Tar Heels have reached 20 wins in a season as the No. 9 Tar Heels blanked Maryland 7-0 Friday afternoon at The Tennis Center at College Park. The Tar Heels swept the three doubles matches and they won five of the six singles matches in straight sets.
The match was highlighted by senior Raian Luchici's 75th career win in doubles (75-46), senior Brad Pomeroy's 70th career win in singles (70-32) and doubles wins No. 35 and No. 25, respectively, for sophomores David Stone and Lenny Gullan.
North Carolina improved to 20-2 on the season and 5-2 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. With four matches remaining, UNC has already exceeded its ACC win total of the 2005 season when the Tar Heels finished 4-6 in the league. The Terrapins are 9-8 overall and 1-7 in the conference.
The Tar Heels swept all three doubles matches by identical 8-3 scores to stake the team to a 1-0 lead in the match. UNC has now won the doubles point in 20 of 22 matches this season.
Senior Derek Porter played at No. 3 doubles but sat out singles Friday. The Coral Springs, Fla. native has been battling an abdominal injury for several weeks. Despite moving the remainder of the lineup up one slot the Tar Heels still were able to dominate in singles, winning at the No. 2-6 spots in straight sets. Senior Aly Mandour played his first ACC singles match of the season and beat John O'Rouke 6-4, 6-3 at No. 6. Junior Sebastian Guejman lost only two games in winning his match at No. 4 singles. In the only match that went three sets, UNC senior Raian Luchici, ranked No. 18 nationally, came from a set down to beat 106th-ranked Nickolai Nielsen, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.
Carolina also reached the 20-win plateau under Sam Paul in 1996 when the Tar Heels were 21-5 and in 2004 when they finished 23-5. The Tar Heels have now won at least five ACC matches in 10 of 13 seasons under coach Paul.
UNC will play at Boston College (5-14, ACC 0-8) Sunday at 10 a.m. in Chestnut Hill, Mass.
No. 9 North Carolina 7, Maryland 0
Doubles (pro sets, team winning at least two of three matches earns one team point)
No. 1 #6 Raian Luchici / Brad Pomeroy (NC) d. Boris Fetbroyt / Scott Fink (MD), 8-3
No. 2 Lenny Gullan / David Stone (NC) d. Josh Brauser / Michael Coleman (MD), 8-3
No. 3 Sebastian Guejman / Derek Porter (NC) d. Nickolai Nielsen / Aaron Carr (MD), 8-3
(North Carolina claims doubles point to lead match 1-0)
Singles (best of three sets)
No. 1 #18 Raian Luchici (NC) d. #106 Nickolai Nielsen (MD), 3-6, 6-3, 6-2
No. 2 Brad Pomeroy (NC) d. Boris Fetbroyt (MD), 6-2, 6-3
No. 3 Benjamin Carlotti (NC) d. Scott Fink (MD), 7-5, 6-4
No. 4 Sebastian Guejman (NC) d. Aaron Carr (MD), 6-0, 6-2
No. 5 Will Plyler (NC) d. Michael Coleman (MD), 6-4, 6-3
No. 6 Aly Mandour (NC) d. John O'Rourke (MD), 6-4, 6-3
Records: North Carolina 20-2, ACC 5-2; Maryland 9-8, ACC 1-7
Players Mentioned
