Tar Heels Sweep No. 11 TCU, 6-0

Sunday, February 9

Forth Worth, Texas

2 PM

North Carolina

Texas Christian University

Benjamin Sigouin

Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati

February 9, 2020 | Men's Tennis

FORT WORTH, TEXAS—Benjamin Sigouin won the clinching match at No. 2 singles to lift the fifth-ranked University of North Carolina men's tennis team to its seventh consecutive win, 6-0, at 11th-ranked TCU on Sunday afternoon at the Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center.

Sigouin beat No. 125 Luc Fomba 7-6 (3), 6-3 to clinch the victory after William Blumberg won his match at No. 1 singles over No. 55 Alastair Gray and No. 80 Josh Peck came from behind to beat Tomas Jirousek 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 at No. 3. Brian Cernoch later his match at No. 4, and Rinky Hijikata chalked up a win at No. 3 when #122 Tadeas Paroulek retired.

Final Score UNC 4 TCU 0 Sigouin clinches 7-6(3), 6-3 over Fomba pic.twitter.com/sVREQ8LCJv
— UNC Men's Tennis (@carolinatennis) February 9, 2020

UNC 3, TCU 0 Cernoch d. Kruger 6-4, 6-4; rallies from 4-1 down in 1st to win 11 of match's final 15 games. pic.twitter.com/uNoVJMVLjS
— UNC Men's Tennis (@carolinatennis) February 9, 2020

UNC 2 TCU 0 Blumberg d. Gray (#55) 6-1, 7-5 pic.twitter.com/jnqyugQ6QD
— UNC Men's Tennis (@carolinatennis) February 9, 2020

Carolina (7-0) remains undefeated this season with all seven victories by shutout. The Tar Heels have won three consecutive dual matches over ranked opponents, having beaten then-No. 19 Illinois and No. 12 South Carolina in Chapel Hill last weekend.

Sigouin and Rinky Hijikata won their match at No. 3 doubles, 6-3, before TCU won at No. 1 doubles when No. 34 Alastair Gray and Jacob Fearnley beat Blumberg and Cernoch.

Simon Soendergaard and Mac Kiger, ranked third in the nation in the latest ITA rankings, won the deciding doubles point for Carolina. They led their match, 5-2, before losing four straight games. Kiger served to keep it alive and force a tiebreaker. After trailing, 3-2, in the tiebreaker, Soendergaard and Kiger won the last five points to grab the win.

UNC 1 TCU 0 Soendergaard/Kiger clinch 7-6(3) pic.twitter.com/FJBfDUvwzf
— UNC Men's Tennis (@carolinatennis) February 9, 2020

The Tar Heels will return to action next weekend starting on Friday at the ITA National Indoor Championships in Madison, Wisc. Seeding will be announced prior to the tournament.

Tennis Match Results
North Carolina vs TCU
2/9/2020 at Fort Worth, Texas (Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center)
#5 North Carolina 6, #11 TCU 0

Singles competition
1. William Blumberg (NC) def. #55 Alastair Gray (TCU) 6-1, 7-5
2. #60 Benjamin Sigouin (NC) def. #125 Luc Fomba (TCU) 7-6, 6-3
3. Rinky Hijikata (NC) def. #122 Tadeas Paroulek (TCU) 4-6, 6-2, 2-1, retired
4. Brian Cernoch (NC) def. Bertus Kruger (TCU) 6-4, 6-4
5. #80 Josh Peck (NC) def. Tomas Jirousek (TCU) 2-6, 6-3, 6-2
6. Sander Jong (TCU) vs. Simon Soendergaard (NC) 5-5, unfinished

Doubles competition
1. #34 Alastair Gray/Jacob Fearnley (TCU) def. William Blumberg/Brian Cernoch (NC) 6-4
2. #3 Mac Kiger/Simon Soendergaard (NC) def. Sander Jong/Tadeas Paroulek (TCU) 7-6 (7-3)
3. Rinky Hijikata/Benjamin Sigouin (NC) def. Luc Fomba/Bertus Kruger (TCU) 6-3

Match Notes:
North Carolina 7-0; National ranking #5
TCU 3-3; National ranking #11
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (1,4,2,3,5)

Carolina victory!

The Tar Heels improve to 7-0 with a 5-0 win at No. 11 TCU on Sunday.#GoHeels 🐏🎾 pic.twitter.com/qpUHz1vYEN
— UNC Men's Tennis (@carolinatennis) February 9, 2020