Tar Heels Advance Past Vols, 4-1

Friday, February 12

Champaign, Ill.

1 p.m. ET

North Carolina

Tennessee (Quarterfinal)

Benjamin Sigouin

February 12, 2021 | Men's Tennis

Box Score

CHAMPAIGN, ILL.—Benjamin Sigouin won the clinching singles match, 6-4, 6-4, as second-seeded North Carolina beat No. 7 seed Tennessee, 4-1, on Friday afternoon in the quarterfinals of the ITA Men's Indoor Team National Championships, hosted by the University of Illinois.

The Tar Heels have reached at least the semifinals in five of the last six years, winning the title in 2016 and advancing to the championship match last year.

Carolina will meet No. 6 seed Virginia on Saturday at 1 p.m. Eastern (noon CT).

After winning a thrilling doubles point, Simon Soendergaard, Brian Cernoch and Sigouin all won their singles matches to pick up the win.

Soendergaard was the first to win his match at No. 6 singles, grabbling a straight-set victory over Pat Harper, 6-2, 6-3. Cernoch then beat Giles Hussey, 6-4, 6-4 at No. 4. Playing at No. 3 singles, Siguoin beat Martim Prata, 6-4, 6-4, to finish off the Volunteers.

The Tar Heels took the doubles point in dramatic fashion. After the two teams split the first two doubles matches, Kiger and Soendergaard clinched the doubles point by coming from behind to win at No. 2. Kiger and Soendergaard fought off four match points while serving at 5-6 and rallied from a 2-5 deficit in the tiebreaker to win, 7-6 (5).

William Blumberg and Cernoch beat Adam Walton and Harper, 6-4, at No. 1 doubles, while the Vols' Giles Hussey and Mark Wallner beat Sigouin and Rinky Hijikata at No. 3, 6-3.

Tennessee vs North Carolina 2/12/2021 at Atkins Tennis Center
North Carolina 4, Tennessee 1

Singles competition
1. William Blumberg (UNC) vs. Adam Walton (TENN) 0-6, 6-1, unfinished
2. Johannus Monday (TENN) def. Rinky Hijikata (UNC) 6-4, 6-2
3. Benjamin Sigouin (UNC) def. Martim Prata (TENN) 6-4, 6-4
4. Brian Cernoch (UNC) def. Giles Hussey (TENN) 6-4, 6-4
5. Josh Peck (UNC) vs. Luca Wiedenmann (TENN) 6-3, 3-6, unfinished
6. Simon Soendergaard (UNC) def. Pat Harper (TENN) 6-2, 6-3

Doubles competition
1. William Blumberg/Brian Cernoch (UNC) def. Adam Walton/Pat Harper (TENN) 6-4
2. Mac Kiger/Simon Soendergaard (UNC) def. Johannus Monday/Martim Prata (TENN) 7-6
3. Giles Hussey/Mark Wallner (TENN) def. Benjamin Sigouin/Rinky Hijikata (UNC) 6-3

Match Notes:
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (2, 6, 4, 3)

UNC 1 UT 0 Kiger/Soendergaard fight off four match points serving at 5-6 and rally from a 2-5 deficit in the TB to clinch the Doubles Point, 7-6(5) pic.twitter.com/sRHPZa3oBj
— UNC Men's Tennis 🐏🎾 (@carolinatennis) February 12, 2021

UNC 3 Tennessee 1 Soendergaard, Cernoch with straight set wins pic.twitter.com/rfx09zjGX5
— UNC Men's Tennis 🐏🎾 (@carolinatennis) February 12, 2021

FINAL UNC 4 Tennessee 1 Ben Sigouin clinches 6-4, 6-4 over Prata #ITAIndoors QF's pic.twitter.com/1Qq14BUyOk
— UNC Men's Tennis 🐏🎾 (@carolinatennis) February 12, 2021