University of North Carolina Athletics
Saturday, April 24
Rome, GA
2 PM
North Carolina
4
vs
3
Wake Forest (Semifinal)
Josh Peck celebrates after winning the clinching match.
Photo by: ACC
Men's Tennis Advances To ACC Final With Dramatic, 4-3 Win Over Wake
April 24, 2021 | Men's Tennis
ROME, GA.— Josh Peck and Rinky Hijikata each won third-set tiebreakers to lead North Carolina to a come-from-behind, 4-3, win over Wake Forest in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament semifinals on Saturday.
With the Demon Deacons leading, 3-2, and two singles matches remaining, Hijikata gutted out a three-set win at No. 1 singles to tie the score. Peck then clinched the berth in the ACC final with a win at No. 3.
The Tar Heels (19-2) advance to Sunday's ACC final to face No. 1 seed Virginia, which beat NC State in Saturday's other semifinal.
Carolina won the doubles point in dramatic fashion to start the afternoon. Wake took the first doubles match when Matthew Thomson and Siddhant Banthia beat No. 79 Benjamin Sigouin and Hijikata, 6-3, at No. 2.
Brian Cernoch and Peter Murphy replied at No. 3 doubles with a big, 6-4 win over Melios Efstathiou and Taha Baadi. Simon Soendergaard and Mac Kiger captured the doubles point with a tiebreaker win at No. 1, 7-6 (8-6).
The Demon Deacons took the first two singles matches to grab a 2-1 team lead. Efstathiou topped Soendergaard at No. 5 (6-3, 6-3), then Banthia defeated No. 118 Kiger at No. 6 (6-2, 7-5).
Carolina tied the score at 2-2 in an unusual moment when No. 65 Sigouin defeated No. 31 Eduardo Nava by default after the two had split the first two sets. Wake then retook the lead, 3-2, when No. 121 Baadi beat No. 59 Cernoch in three sets at No. 3 singles.
Rain forced the suspension of the match at that point, as play moved to the indoor courts after a delay.
Hijikata tied the match at 3-all with a thrilling, come-from-behind win over No. 10 Henri Squire at No. 1 singles. Squire won the first set, 7-5, but Hijikata roared back to win the match, 6-3 and 7-6 (8-6) in the second and third sets. Hijikata overcame three team match points at 5-6 (15-40) in the third set.
Almost simultaneously, No. 59 Peck and Rrezart Cungu headed to a third-set tiebreaker at No. 4 singles to decide the match. Cungu took an early, 3-1, lead in the back-and-forth tiebreak, which Peck eventually won by a 10-8 score. Peck rallied from down, 3-1, in the third set. In the tiebreaker, he fought off match points at 6-7 and 7-8 before winning, 10-8.
The Tar Heels played without No. 1 singles player William Blumberg for the second day in a row due to an ankle injury.
Tennis Match Results
North Carolina vs Wake Forest
Apr 24, 2021 at Rome, GA
(Rome Tennis Center at Berry College)
#4 North Carolina 4, #9 Wake Forest 3
Singles competition
1. #25 Rinky Hijikata (NC) def. #10 Henri Squire (WF) 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (8-6)
2. #65 Benjamin Sigouin (NC) def. #31 Eduardo Nava (WF) 3-6, 6-4, 99-0
3. #121 Taha Baadi (WF) def. #59 Brian Cernoch (NC) 3-6, 6-4, 6-3
4. #59 Josh Peck (NC) def. Rrezart Cungu (WF) 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (10-8)
5. Melios Efstathiou (WF) def. Simon Soendergaard (NC) 6-3, 6-3
6. Siddhant Banthia (WF) def. #112 Mac Kiger (NC) 6-2, 7-5
Doubles competition
1. #79 Simon Soendergaard/Mac Kiger (NC) def. #11 Eduardo Nava/Henri Squire (WF) 7-6 (8-6)
2. Matthew Thomson/Siddhant Banthia (WF) def. #79 Benjamin Sigouin/Rinky Hijikata (NC) 6-3
3. Brian Cernoch/Peter Murphy (NC) def. Melios Efstathiou/Taha Baadi (WF) 6-4
Match Notes:
North Carolina 18-2; National ranking #4
Wake Forest 28-6; National ranking #9
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (5,6,2,1,3,4)
Played outdoors
Play stopped at 7 p.m. due to weather; moved indoors, restarted at 7:30 pm UNC won
T-3:54
With the Demon Deacons leading, 3-2, and two singles matches remaining, Hijikata gutted out a three-set win at No. 1 singles to tie the score. Peck then clinched the berth in the ACC final with a win at No. 3.
The Tar Heels (19-2) advance to Sunday's ACC final to face No. 1 seed Virginia, which beat NC State in Saturday's other semifinal.
Carolina won the doubles point in dramatic fashion to start the afternoon. Wake took the first doubles match when Matthew Thomson and Siddhant Banthia beat No. 79 Benjamin Sigouin and Hijikata, 6-3, at No. 2.
Brian Cernoch and Peter Murphy replied at No. 3 doubles with a big, 6-4 win over Melios Efstathiou and Taha Baadi. Simon Soendergaard and Mac Kiger captured the doubles point with a tiebreaker win at No. 1, 7-6 (8-6).
The Demon Deacons took the first two singles matches to grab a 2-1 team lead. Efstathiou topped Soendergaard at No. 5 (6-3, 6-3), then Banthia defeated No. 118 Kiger at No. 6 (6-2, 7-5).
Carolina tied the score at 2-2 in an unusual moment when No. 65 Sigouin defeated No. 31 Eduardo Nava by default after the two had split the first two sets. Wake then retook the lead, 3-2, when No. 121 Baadi beat No. 59 Cernoch in three sets at No. 3 singles.
Rain forced the suspension of the match at that point, as play moved to the indoor courts after a delay.
Hijikata tied the match at 3-all with a thrilling, come-from-behind win over No. 10 Henri Squire at No. 1 singles. Squire won the first set, 7-5, but Hijikata roared back to win the match, 6-3 and 7-6 (8-6) in the second and third sets. Hijikata overcame three team match points at 5-6 (15-40) in the third set.
Almost simultaneously, No. 59 Peck and Rrezart Cungu headed to a third-set tiebreaker at No. 4 singles to decide the match. Cungu took an early, 3-1, lead in the back-and-forth tiebreak, which Peck eventually won by a 10-8 score. Peck rallied from down, 3-1, in the third set. In the tiebreaker, he fought off match points at 6-7 and 7-8 before winning, 10-8.
The Tar Heels played without No. 1 singles player William Blumberg for the second day in a row due to an ankle injury.
UNC 4 Wake Forest 3 UNC rallies down a set in final two matches on court which were decided 8-6 and 10-8 in 3rd set breakers! Advances to @ACCTennis Championship for a third meeting this season versus Virginia. pic.twitter.com/aiZpkj6xaK
— UNC Men's Tennis 🐏🎾 (@carolinatennis) April 25, 2021
UNC 4 Wake Forest 3 UNC rallies down a set in final two matches on court which were decided 8-6 and 10-8 in 3rd set breakers! Advances to @ACCTennis Championship for a third meeting this season versus Virginia. pic.twitter.com/aiZpkj6xaK
— UNC Men's Tennis 🐏🎾 (@carolinatennis) April 25, 2021
Watch Hijikata's match point that tied #ACCTennis SF at 3-3 pic.twitter.com/PKFcAK9V4I
— UNC Men's Tennis 🐏🎾 (@carolinatennis) April 25, 2021
Tennis Match Results
North Carolina vs Wake Forest
Apr 24, 2021 at Rome, GA
(Rome Tennis Center at Berry College)
#4 North Carolina 4, #9 Wake Forest 3
Singles competition
1. #25 Rinky Hijikata (NC) def. #10 Henri Squire (WF) 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (8-6)
2. #65 Benjamin Sigouin (NC) def. #31 Eduardo Nava (WF) 3-6, 6-4, 99-0
3. #121 Taha Baadi (WF) def. #59 Brian Cernoch (NC) 3-6, 6-4, 6-3
4. #59 Josh Peck (NC) def. Rrezart Cungu (WF) 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (10-8)
5. Melios Efstathiou (WF) def. Simon Soendergaard (NC) 6-3, 6-3
6. Siddhant Banthia (WF) def. #112 Mac Kiger (NC) 6-2, 7-5
Doubles competition
1. #79 Simon Soendergaard/Mac Kiger (NC) def. #11 Eduardo Nava/Henri Squire (WF) 7-6 (8-6)
2. Matthew Thomson/Siddhant Banthia (WF) def. #79 Benjamin Sigouin/Rinky Hijikata (NC) 6-3
3. Brian Cernoch/Peter Murphy (NC) def. Melios Efstathiou/Taha Baadi (WF) 6-4
Match Notes:
North Carolina 18-2; National ranking #4
Wake Forest 28-6; National ranking #9
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (5,6,2,1,3,4)
Played outdoors
Play stopped at 7 p.m. due to weather; moved indoors, restarted at 7:30 pm UNC won
T-3:54
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
2,3,1
#1 Singles Match
123
567
Henri Squire / 0 (10/-) [WF]
736
#2 Singles Match
123
36WD
Eduardo Nava / 0 (31/-) [WF]
640
#3 Singles Match
123
643
Taha Baadi / 0 (121/-) [WF]
366
#4 Singles Match
123
467
Rrezart Cungu / 0 [WF]
626
#5 Singles Match
12
33
Melios Efstathiou / 0 [WF]
66
#6 Singles Match
12
25
Siddhant Banthia / 0 [WF]
67
Order of Finish:
5,6,2,1,3,4
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
Carolina Insider - Men's Basketball Talk (Full Segment) - October 16, 2025
Thursday, October 16
Carolina Insider - Football at Cal Preview (Full Segment) - October 16, 2025
Thursday, October 16
Carolina Insider - Olympic Sports Update (Full Segment) - October 16, 2025
Thursday, October 16
Bill Belichick Coach's Corner - Episode 6 - October 15, 2025
Wednesday, October 15