North Carolina
Florida State
Men's Tennis Downs FSU On Senior Day, 4-2
April 17, 2021 | Men's Tennis
The Tar Heels celebrated Senior Day between the doubles and singles matches, honoring current fifth-year seniors William Blumberg, Josh Peck and Simon Soendergaard, as well as former classmate Ladd Harrison, who graduated in 2020.
As a group, this senior class has led UNC to a 103-17 overall record, including wins in 32 of the last 33 home matches. Along the way, this group advanced to the 2017 NCAA championship match, reached two NCAA semifinals and won the 2021 ITA National Team Indoor championship.
The class also set school records for most win in a season in 2017, most ACC wins in 2018 and the 2018 ACC regular season championship. Five Tar Heels from the 2020 team earned All-America honors in 2020, more than any school in the nation.
With Saturday's win, the Tar Heels improved to 17-2 this season, including 9-2 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. FSU fell to 8-15, 2-10.
UNC started the afternoon by winning the doubles point. Blumberg and Brian Cernoch, ranked third nationally, beat No. 69 Loris Pourroy and Marcus Walters, 6-3. Soendergaard and Mac Kiger also won, picking up a 6-4 win at No. 2 over Alex Knaff and Sebastian Arcila.
Blumberg and Rinky Hijikata, whose No. 3 doubles match with Benjamin Sigouin went unfinished with the score tied, 4-4, sat out singles competition.
Cernoch, ranked No. 66 nationally, took the first singles match for Carolina, dispatching Alex Knaff at No. 2, 6-4, 6-2, for a 2-0 Tar Heel advantage.
FSU responded, winning the next two singles matches to tie the score at 2-2. Andreja Petrovic beat Logan Zapp at No. 5, 6-4, 6-2. The Seminoles' Marcus Walters followed with a 7-5, 6-2 win over No. 87 Soendergaard at No. 4 singles.
Peck put the Tar Heels back ahead, 3-2, when beat Arcila in a second-set tiebreaker to win, 6-1, 7-6.
Kiger followed with his win in the only three-set decision of the day. He quickly won the first set over Chase Wood, 6-1, only to see Wood return the favor with a 6-3 win of his own in the second set. Kiger cruised to a 6-1 win in the third to clinch the 4-2 UNC team victory.
Carolina ends the regular season in third place in the conference with a 9-2 league mark.
The Tar Heels will return to action next weekend at the ACC Championships in Rome, Ga., beginning with the quarterfinal round on Friday April 23.
Tennis Match Results
Florida State vs North Carolina 4./17/21 at Chapel Hill, N.C. (Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center)
#3 North Carolina 4, Florida State 2
Singles competition
1. #77 Benjamin Sigouin (NC) vs. Loris Pourroy (FS) 7-5, 3-6, 1-0, unfinished
2. #66 Brian Cernoch (NC) def. Alex Knaff (FS) 6-4, 6-2
3. Josh Peck (NC) def. Sebastian Arcila (FS) 6-1, 7-6 (7-3)
4. Marcus Walters (FS) def. #87 Simon Soendergaard (NC) 7-5, 6-2
5. Andreja Petrovic (FS) def. Logan Zapp (NC) 6-4, 6-2
6. Mac Kiger (NC) def. Chase Wood (FS) 6-1, 3-6, 6-1
Doubles competition
1. #3 William Blumberg/Brian Cernoch (NC) def. #69 Loris Pourroy/Marcus Walters (FS) 6-3
2. Mac Kiger/Simon Soendergaard (NC) def. Alex Knaff/Sebastian Arcila (FS) 6-4
3. Rinky Hijikata/Benjamin Sigouin (NC) vs. Chase Wood/Andreja Petrovic (FS) 4-4, unfinished
Match Notes:
Florida State 8-14, 2-9 ACC
North Carolina 16-2, 8-2 ACC; National ranking #3 Order of finish: Doubles (1,2); Singles (2,5,4,3,6) T-2:30
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
1,2
#1 Singles Match
#2 Singles Match
#3 Singles Match
#4 Singles Match
#5 Singles Match
#6 Singles Match
Order of Finish:
2,5,4,3,6
Players Mentioned
