University of North Carolina Athletics
No. 2 Tar Heels Pick Up Indoor Win In Raleigh
March 20, 2016 | Men's Tennis
RALEIGH, N.C. – After trailing early, the second-ranked North Carolina men's tennis team rebounded to beat No. 33 NC State Sunday afternoon on the Wolfpack's indoor courts at J.W. Isenhour Tennis Center. UNC improved to 18-1 overall and 3-1 in Atlantic Coast Conference play with the win, while NC State fell to 12-9 (1-4).
The match-up was the second this spring between the Triangle rivals. UNC won 4-2 in Chapel Hill on Jan. 24 during ITA Kickoff Weekend play. “It's always tough playing over here,” UNC coach Sam Paul said as his team packed up to head back to Chapel Hill. “Their kids always compete hard, so it's always a tough environment. It's a good win for us.”
Due to the day's chilly temperatures and light rain, the match was moved to the indoor facility, which has four courts, necessitating that the singles matches be played in shifts.
UNC opened strong, taking the doubles point for the third match in a row. Andrew Gores and Jack Murray won 6-1 at the No. 3 spot, but Brayden Schnur and Ronnie Schneider fell 6-4 at No. 2. Brett Clark and Robert Kelly then clinched the 1-0 lead for the Tar Heels with a 6-4 win at No. 1.
In singles, the Wolfpack won in straight sets at No. 1 and No. 2 to go up 2-1. At No. 2, Thomas Weigel beat Schnur 7-5, 6-2. At No. 1, Schneider fell 6-2, 6-3 to No. 73 Simon Norenius.
Playing at No. 4, Kelly pulled the Tar Heels even again, winning 6-4, 7-5 over Igor Saveljic. At No. 3, Clark gave Carolina the lead for good, pointing to the UNC logo on his chest in celebration as he sealed the 6-4, 6-4 win over Ivan Saveljic.
As the No. 1 and No. 2 courts cleared, the No. 5 and No. 6 matches stepped into the space. Murray got underway just before 3 p.m. and quickly jumped out to an advantage, winning the first set 6-0. Clark's win wrapped up just before freshman Anu Kodali's match started at No. 6, leaving the two final singles matches in the spotlight and the Tar Heels needing just one of them for the team victory.
Murray and Kodali had to sit through the first round of singles and warm up on the outdoor courts, but neither seemed bothered by the delay. “It's nice to get a little bit of a rest between doubles and singles, but it's tough because you have all this emotion after your match and then you're sitting,” Murray said. “You can't really go crazy with cheering because you've got to conserve your energy. It's tough to come back up in terms of your energy level, but I think I did a pretty good job today. I got on him early and just kept going.”
Indeed he did, winning 6-0, 6-0 to seal the match for UNC. When Murray clinched, Kodali was up 1-0 in his second set, having won the first 6-2. The freshman played on for another 20 minutes, wrapping up the second set at 6-2 with a service winner.
“We talked about that,” Paul said of the delay before starting the last two singles matches. “Jack has been around a lot and he stays focused on his court. I felt good about him being strong in any situation – he's been there, done that. And I thought Anu played a good, solid match throughout and focused on what he was doing. That's always a little tricky – momentum can switch. But they were ready.”
The Tar Heels return to action on Friday, hosting Clemson for a 3 p.m. match at Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center.
March 20, 2016
J.W. Isenhour Tennis Center, Raleigh, N.C.
No. 2 North Carolina 5, No. 33 NC State 2
Doubles
Order of match finish: (3,2,1)
1. #3 Robert Kelly/Brett Clark (NC) def. Igor Saveljic/Ivan Saveljic (NCST), 6-4
2. Thomas Weigel/Simon Norenius def. Brayden Schnur/Ronnie Schneider, 6-4
3. Andrew Gores/Jack Murrary (NC) def. Michael Ogden/Chris Mikrovas (NCST), 6-1
Singles
Order of match finish: (2,1,4,3,5,6)
1. #73 Simon Norenius (NCST) def. #12 Ronnie Schneider (NC), 6-2, 6-3
2. Thomas Weigel (NCST) def. #38 Brayden Schnur (NC), 7-5, 6-2
3. #29 Brett Clark (NC) def. Ivan Saveljic (NCST), 6-4, 6-4
4. #80 Robert Kelly (NC) def. Igor Saveljic (NCST), 6-4, 7-5
5. #74 Jack Murray (NC) def. Chris Mikrovas (NCST), 6-0, 6-0
6. Anu Kodali (NC) def. Michael Ogden (NCST), 6-2, 6-2
Records: North Carolina 18-1 (3-1 ACC), NC State 12-9 (1-4 ACC)
Players Mentioned
