Tar Heels Advance Past Gamecocks, 4-1

Monday, January 25

Chapel Hill

2 PM

North Carolina

South Carolina (Championship)

William Blumberg (above) and Brian Cernoch won their doubles match.

Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati

January 25, 2021 | Men's Tennis

Box Score ITA National Indoors Central

CHAPEL HILL—Benjamin Sigouin won the clinching singles match as second-ranked North Carolina defeated South Carolina, 4-1, on Monday afternoon in the championship of the North Carolina Regional of the ITA Kickoff Weekend at the Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center.

The Tar Heels, ranked No. 2 in the nation in the preseason ITA poll, improved to 2-0 to start the season. The Gamecocks, ranked No. 20, fell to 1-1 after beating Duke on Sunday. UNC had advanced to Monday's match with a 4-0 win over Northwestern on Sunday.

Carolina has won 14 consecutive ITA Kickoff Weekend matches at home and advances to the ITA Indoor National Championships for the seventh year in a row. UNC will return to action in the quarterfinal round in Champaign, Ill., on February 12.

"I'm very glad our guys are moving forward," Tar Heel head coach Sam Paul said afterward. "This was a tough regional with some really good teams. Our guys have dealt with a lot to get to this point, including not playing in the fall and everything else. We're not entirely where we want to be as a team yet, but we're happy to advance and have another chance to get better."

Northwestern defeated Duke, 4-0, in the consolation match of the North Carolina Regional on Monday morning.

Tennis Match Results
South Carolina vs North Carolina 1/25/2021 at Chapel Hill, N.C. (Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center)
#2 North Carolina 4, #20 South Carolina 1

Singles competition

1. #2 William Blumberg (NC) vs. #32 Daniel Rodrigues (SC) 6-7 (5-7), 5-3, unfinished
2. #41 Benjamin Sigouin (NC) def. #81 Raphael Lambling (SC) 6-4, 6-4
3. Brian Cernoch (NC) def. #118 Connor Thomson (SC) 6-1, 6-3
4. #100 Josh Peck (NC) vs. Toby Samuel (SC) 3-6, 6-2, 2-1, unfinished
5. Simon Soendergaard (NC) def. Phillip Jordan (SC) 6-3, 7-5
6. Jake Beasley (SC) def. Mac Kiger (NC) 6-1, 6-4

Doubles competition
1. #6 William Blumberg/Brian Cernoch (NC) def. #44 Daniel Rodrigues/Connor Thomson (SC) 6-2
2. #5 Mac Kiger/Simon Soendergaard (NC) vs. #59 Raphael Lambling/Phillip Jordan (SC) 4-4, unfinished
3. Josh Peck/Benjamin Sigouin (NC) def. Toby Samuel/Jake Beasley (SC) 6-2

Match Notes:
South Carolina 1-1; National ranking #20 North Carolina 2-0; National ranking #2

Order of finish: Doubles (3,1); Singles (3,6,5,2) T-2:08