Saturday, May 4
Chapel Hill
North Carolina
4
vs
1
Georgia (NCAA Second Round)
Photo by: UNC Athletic Communications
Tar Heels Advance To NCAA Round of 16 For Sixth Year In A Row
May 4, 2019 | Men's Tennis
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – For the sixth year in a row, the UNC men's tennis team is headed for the Sweet 16. The ninth-seeded and 10th-ranked Tar Heels (20-6) beat No. 18 Georgia 4-1 Saturday in a second-round match at Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center to survive and advance.
"We knew we were playing a great program in Georgia, so it's a great win for us," UNC coach Sam Paul said. "Manny (Diaz, Georgia's coach) does such an unbelievable job. We're happy to be moving on – it's a very, very good win for us."
UNC's Blaine Boyden, a captain and the team's only senior, clinched the match on Court 5 with the 94th win of his singles career.
Next up for the Tar Heels is eighth-seeded Southern California, which advanced Saturday with a homecourt win over San Diego and will continue to host as a top-eight seed. UNC and USC will meet next Saturday (May 11) in Los Angeles. Match time is 5 p.m. ET.
For a look at the full bracket, click here.
Against the Bulldogs, UNC claimed the doubles point with two very different wins. On Court 1, Boyden and junior William Blumberg, ranked 13th nationally, rolled to a 6-0 win over No. 61 Walker Duncan and Emil Reinberg. When that wrapped up, the battles on Courts 2 and 3 were both tight, with the third court being the one that played out first. With Court 2 tied at 5-5, UNC's Mac Kiger and Simon Soendergaard won a tiebreaker 7-3 on Court 3 to give Carolina the advantage going into singles.
In singles, junior Josh Peck was the first to win, earning a 6-0, 6-1 win over Trent Bryde on Court 3 to put UNC up 2-0.
Georgia claimed the next match, with Blake Croyder beating Soendergaard on Court 6, 6-1. 6-1.
Freshman Brian Cernoch, ranked No. 116, delivered an ace for the winning point on Court 4, beating No. 115 Philip Henning 6-4, 6-3 to put UNC within one of a clinch. At that point, the Tar Heels were tied 2-2 in the second set on Court 1 (Blumberg), up 2-0 on Court 2 (sophomore Benjamin Sigouin) and tied at 3-3 on Court 5 (Boyden), with all three players racing to the finish. It was Boyden who got there first, winning 6-4, 6-3 when Georgia's Walker Duncan sent his return into the net on match point.
"It was a team win," Paul said. "Simon and Mac came through with a big win in doubles, and what a great day for Bo (Boyden), our senior, to clinch it. I can't say enough about Josh Peck, and Brian Cernoch too."
UNC has now won 19 consecutive matches at home, including all 13 this season.
No. 10 North Carolina 4, No. 18 Georgia 1
Singles
Order of finish: 3,6,4,5
Doubles
Order of finish: 1,3
Records: UNC 20-6, Georgia 14-11
"We knew we were playing a great program in Georgia, so it's a great win for us," UNC coach Sam Paul said. "Manny (Diaz, Georgia's coach) does such an unbelievable job. We're happy to be moving on – it's a very, very good win for us."
🔥🔥🔥That 6️⃣ Straight Sweet 1️⃣6️⃣s feeling!🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/c0w8mlRCgc
— UNC Men's Tennis (@carolinatennis) May 4, 2019
UNC's Blaine Boyden, a captain and the team's only senior, clinched the match on Court 5 with the 94th win of his singles career.
Next up for the Tar Heels is eighth-seeded Southern California, which advanced Saturday with a homecourt win over San Diego and will continue to host as a top-eight seed. UNC and USC will meet next Saturday (May 11) in Los Angeles. Match time is 5 p.m. ET.
For a look at the full bracket, click here.
Against the Bulldogs, UNC claimed the doubles point with two very different wins. On Court 1, Boyden and junior William Blumberg, ranked 13th nationally, rolled to a 6-0 win over No. 61 Walker Duncan and Emil Reinberg. When that wrapped up, the battles on Courts 2 and 3 were both tight, with the third court being the one that played out first. With Court 2 tied at 5-5, UNC's Mac Kiger and Simon Soendergaard won a tiebreaker 7-3 on Court 3 to give Carolina the advantage going into singles.
In singles, junior Josh Peck was the first to win, earning a 6-0, 6-1 win over Trent Bryde on Court 3 to put UNC up 2-0.
Georgia claimed the next match, with Blake Croyder beating Soendergaard on Court 6, 6-1. 6-1.
Freshman Brian Cernoch, ranked No. 116, delivered an ace for the winning point on Court 4, beating No. 115 Philip Henning 6-4, 6-3 to put UNC within one of a clinch. At that point, the Tar Heels were tied 2-2 in the second set on Court 1 (Blumberg), up 2-0 on Court 2 (sophomore Benjamin Sigouin) and tied at 3-3 on Court 5 (Boyden), with all three players racing to the finish. It was Boyden who got there first, winning 6-4, 6-3 when Georgia's Walker Duncan sent his return into the net on match point.
FINAL UNC 4 UGA 1 Boyden clinches 6-4, 6-3 UNC advances to 6th straight Sweet 16 pic.twitter.com/bJSJJuAill
— UNC Men's Tennis (@carolinatennis) May 4, 2019
"It was a team win," Paul said. "Simon and Mac came through with a big win in doubles, and what a great day for Bo (Boyden), our senior, to clinch it. I can't say enough about Josh Peck, and Brian Cernoch too."
UNC has now won 19 consecutive matches at home, including all 13 this season.
No. 10 North Carolina 4, No. 18 Georgia 1
Singles
Order of finish: 3,6,4,5
- #19 William Blumberg (UNC) vs. #38 Emil Reinberg (UGA), 6-4, 3-3 unfinished
- #39 Benjamin Sigouin (UNC) vs. Robert Loeb (UGA), 7-6(5), 3-1 unfinished
- #110 Josh Peck (UNC) d. Trent Bryde (UGA), 6-0, 6-1
- #116 Brian Cernoch (UNC) d. #115 Philip Henning (UGA), 6-4, 6-3
- Blaine Boyden (UNC) d. Walker Duncan (UGA), 6-4, 6-3
- Blake Croyder (UGA) d. Simon Soendergaard (UNC), 6-1, 6-1
Doubles
Order of finish: 1,3
- #13 Blumberg/Boyden (UNC) d. #61 Duncan/Reinberg (UGA), 6-0
- #90 Cernoch/Sigouin (UNC) vs. Diaz/Loeb (UGA), 5-5 unfinished
- Kiger/Soendergaard (UNC) d. Bryde/Henning (UGA), 7-6(3)
Records: UNC 20-6, Georgia 14-11
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
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