University of North Carolina Athletics
Saturday, May 18
Orlando, Fla.
North Carolina
3
vs
4
Wake Forest (NCAA Semifinals)
Freshman Brian Cernoch won on Court 4.
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
Tar Heels Fall To Wake Forest In Final Four
May 18, 2019 | Men's Tennis
LAKE NONA, Fla. – North Carolina's run through the NCAA Tournament bracket came to an end on Saturday afternoon when the Tar Heels fell 4-3 to fourth-seeded Wake Forest in the national semifinals at the USTA National Campus. Ninth-seeded UNC had pulled off back-to-back upsets to reach the final four for the second time in the past three years.
The day started on a celebratory note, with two Tar Heel teams among the eight total (four men's, four women's) still competing at the championship site. But the Tar Heel women fell 5-2 to Stanford in a match that started two hours before the men's match did, and by evening both teams had been eliminated.
"I want to congratulate Wake Forest – they played a great match," UNC coach Sam Paul said. "We had our chances, they just outplayed us."
The Tar Heels finished the year 22-7, winning more than 20 matches for the sixth year in a row. Wake Forest (34-3), the defending NCAA champion, advances to face Texas in the championship on Sunday.
UNC started strong, winning the doubles point for the 23rd time this season. On all but three previous occasions, claiming the first point had been the first step on the road to a victory.
The first three singles decisions came within minutes of each other. Wake took the first, with #8 Petros Chrysochos beating Tar Heel sophomore Benjamin Sigouin for the third time this season, 6-4, 6-2. Sigouin, ranked #39, only had three other losses all spring.
That tied the score at 1-1, and the Demon Deacons quickly claimed another, with #50 Bar Botzer beating #110 Josh Peck on Court 3, 6-4, 6-1.
Moments later on Court 4, UNC freshman Brian Cernoch closed out a straight-sets win over Rrezart Cungu, 6-3, 6-3, to pull the Tar Heels even again at 2-2.
On Court 6, Siddhant Banthia beat Carolina junior Simon Soendergaard 6-4, 6-3, making it 3-2 Wake Forest. The only two Tar Heels still playing were the team captains, senior Blaine Boyden and junior William Blumberg.
Boyden, UNC's only senior, closed out a win on Court 5 in what would prove to be his final team match as a Tar Heel, beating Melios Efstathiou 6-2, 6-3 then shouting "Let's Go Heels!" Efstathiou was responsible for one of Boyden's three singles losses this season, on March 27, the last time Boyden lost a singles match. The Tar Heel senior had won nine in a row since then, and avenged his most recent loss to make it 10 straight to cap his career. (He still has individual doubles play to go, as he and Blumberg will compete in the NCAA doubles draw, which starts Monday.)
Thus the match was tied at 3-3, with all eyes on Court 1, which was the only one to go into a third set. Blumberg beat #11 Borna Gojo in the first set, but fell in the second. In the third Blumberg went up 1-0, but that was his only lead of the set and he trailed 2-1 when Boyden finished. Gojo ran the lead to 5-2, and Blumberg hung on to make it 5-3 but could get no closer and fell 6-3 in the final set. It was Blumberg's third loss of the season to Gojo.
"What a ride we've had these last two weeks," Paul said. "To play Georgia in our regional – that's not an easy thing to do – and then fly across the country to play USC at USC then come back and upset the No. 1 seed here in Ohio State ... there are a lot of positives. And credit to Wake Forest – they played a great match today."
No. 4 Wake Forest 4, No. 10 North Carolina 3
Singles
Order of finish: 2,3,4,6,5,1
Doubles
Order of finish: 3,1,2
Records: UNC 22-7, Wake Forest 34-3
The day started on a celebratory note, with two Tar Heel teams among the eight total (four men's, four women's) still competing at the championship site. But the Tar Heel women fell 5-2 to Stanford in a match that started two hours before the men's match did, and by evening both teams had been eliminated.
"I want to congratulate Wake Forest – they played a great match," UNC coach Sam Paul said. "We had our chances, they just outplayed us."
The Tar Heels finished the year 22-7, winning more than 20 matches for the sixth year in a row. Wake Forest (34-3), the defending NCAA champion, advances to face Texas in the championship on Sunday.
UNC started strong, winning the doubles point for the 23rd time this season. On all but three previous occasions, claiming the first point had been the first step on the road to a victory.
5-3, 40-40 pic.twitter.com/Up0fTe6AKM
— UNC Men's Tennis (@carolinatennis) May 18, 2019
The first three singles decisions came within minutes of each other. Wake took the first, with #8 Petros Chrysochos beating Tar Heel sophomore Benjamin Sigouin for the third time this season, 6-4, 6-2. Sigouin, ranked #39, only had three other losses all spring.
That tied the score at 1-1, and the Demon Deacons quickly claimed another, with #50 Bar Botzer beating #110 Josh Peck on Court 3, 6-4, 6-1.
Moments later on Court 4, UNC freshman Brian Cernoch closed out a straight-sets win over Rrezart Cungu, 6-3, 6-3, to pull the Tar Heels even again at 2-2.
UNC 2 Wake 2 Cernoch 6-3, 6-3 pic.twitter.com/GLDBWwJ9Qk
— UNC Men's Tennis (@carolinatennis) May 18, 2019
On Court 6, Siddhant Banthia beat Carolina junior Simon Soendergaard 6-4, 6-3, making it 3-2 Wake Forest. The only two Tar Heels still playing were the team captains, senior Blaine Boyden and junior William Blumberg.
Boyden, UNC's only senior, closed out a win on Court 5 in what would prove to be his final team match as a Tar Heel, beating Melios Efstathiou 6-2, 6-3 then shouting "Let's Go Heels!" Efstathiou was responsible for one of Boyden's three singles losses this season, on March 27, the last time Boyden lost a singles match. The Tar Heel senior had won nine in a row since then, and avenged his most recent loss to make it 10 straight to cap his career. (He still has individual doubles play to go, as he and Blumberg will compete in the NCAA doubles draw, which starts Monday.)
Thus the match was tied at 3-3, with all eyes on Court 1, which was the only one to go into a third set. Blumberg beat #11 Borna Gojo in the first set, but fell in the second. In the third Blumberg went up 1-0, but that was his only lead of the set and he trailed 2-1 when Boyden finished. Gojo ran the lead to 5-2, and Blumberg hung on to make it 5-3 but could get no closer and fell 6-3 in the final set. It was Blumberg's third loss of the season to Gojo.
"What a ride we've had these last two weeks," Paul said. "To play Georgia in our regional – that's not an easy thing to do – and then fly across the country to play USC at USC then come back and upset the No. 1 seed here in Ohio State ... there are a lot of positives. And credit to Wake Forest – they played a great match today."
No. 4 Wake Forest 4, No. 10 North Carolina 3
Singles
Order of finish: 2,3,4,6,5,1
- #11 Borna Gojo (WF) d. #19 William Blumberg (UNC), 4-6, 6-2, 6-3
- #8 Petros Chrysochos (WF) d. #39 Benjamin Sigouin (UNC), 6-4, 6-2
- #50 Bar Botzer (WF) d. #110 Josh Peck (UNC), 6-4, 6-1
- #116 Brian Cernoch (UNC) d. Rrezart Cungu (WF), 6-3, 6-3
- Blaine Boyden (UNC) d. Melios Efstathiou (WF), 6-2, 6-3
- Siddhant Banthia (WF) d. Simon Soendergaard (UNC), 6-4, 6-3
Doubles
Order of finish: 3,1,2
- #63 Gojo/Gadjiev (WFU) d. #13 Blumberg/Boyden (UNC), 6-3
- #90 Cernoch/Sigouin (UNC) d. #55 Botzer/Chrysochos (WFU), 6-3
- Kiger/Soendergaard (UNC) def. Banthia/Efstathiou (WF), 6-4
Records: UNC 22-7, Wake Forest 34-3
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
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