University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Ohio State (National Team Indoors)
Tar Heels Earn Semifinal Spot At National Team Indoors
February 13, 2016 | Men's Tennis
The North Carolina men's tennis team advanced to the semifinals of the ITA National Team Indoor Championships for the first time in program history Saturday with a 4-2 win over eighth-ranked Ohio State in Charlottesville, Va.
Playing at the Boar's Head Sports Club, the Tar Heels improved to 8-0 with the victory and will face UCLA, a 4-2 winner over Texas A&M, on Sunday at noon for a spot in Monday's championship. Ohio State, which fell to 9-1, had not lost even a single team point in any of its previous nine matches.
UNC opened Saturday by taking the doubles point, starting strong after having fallen in doubles in its last two outings. Tar Heels Brett Clark and Robert Kelly, currently ranked No. 3 in the nation, won 6-2 at the No. 1 spot over 14th-ranked Ralf Steinbach and Martin Joyce. Jack Murray and Brayden Schnur then won 6-4 at No. 2 to give Carolina a 1-0 advantage heading into the singles competition.
In singles, UNC sophomore Robert Kelly was the first off the court with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Steinbach at No. 5. OSU's Martin Joyce then beat Tar Heel freshman Anu Kodali 6-2, 6-3 at No. 6 to pull the Buckeyes to 2-1. UNC's Jack Murray, currently ranked No. 89, pulled off an upset at the fourth spot, beating No. 18 Herkko Pollanen 6-2, 6-3 to again give the Tar Heels a two-point advantage, 3-1.
The next court to finish was No. 3, where junior Brett Clark fell 6-2, 7-6 to No. 16 Hugo Di Feo, making the score 3-2 Carolina. Junior Ronnie Schneider then sealed the win for UNC with a 6-4, 6-4 win at No. 2, beating No. 42 Chris Diaz.
#7 North Carolina 4, #8 Ohio State 2
Doubles (Team Winning Majority Of Matches Earns One Team Point)
Order of match finish: (1,2)
1. #3 Robert Kelly/Brett Clark (UNC) def. #14 Ralf Steinbach/Martin Joyce (OSU), 6-2
2. Brayden Schnur/Jack Murray (UNC) def. #19 Mikael Torpegaard/Herkko Pollanen, (OSU), 6-4
3. Ronnie Schneider/Blaine Boyden (UNC) vs. Chris Diaz/Hugo Di Feo (OSU), 3-4 DNF
Singles (One Team Point Per Singles Match)
Order of match finish: (5, 6, 4, 3, 2)
1. Brayden Schnur (UNC) vs, #5 Mikael Torpegaard (OSU), 7-6, 5-5 DNF
2. #23 Ronnie Schneider (UNC) def. #42 Chris Diaz (OSU), 6-4, 6-4
3. #16 Hugo Di Feo (OSU) d. #29 Brett Clark (UNC), 6-2, 7-6
4. #89 Jack Murray (UNC) vs. #18 Herkko Pollanen (OSU), 6-2. 6-3
5. #62 Robert Kelly (UNC) def. Ralf Steinback (OSU), 6-4, 6-1
6. Martin Joyce (OSU) def. Anu Kodali (UNC), 6-2, 6-3
Records: North Carolina 8-0, Ohio State 9-1
Players Mentioned
