Men's Tennis Blanks Hokies, 4-0, To Conclude ITA Kickoff

Saturday, January 24

Winston-Salem, N.C.

11 a.m.

North Carolina

Virginia Tech

Constantinos Djakouris
University of North Carolina Men’s Tennis v Queens
Chewning Tennis Center
Chapel Hill, NC
Tuesday, January 20, 2026

Constantinos Djakouris won a marathon tiebreaker in the second set of his singles match to clinch the win.

Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati

January 24, 2026 | Men's Tennis

Box Score Final Stats (.pdf)

By: Matt Bowers

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.—North Carolina won the doubles point and went on to a 4-0 win over Virginia Tech in the consolation match of the ITA Kickoff Weekend regional on Saturday in the Wake Forest Tennis Center.

The Tar Heels improved to 2-1 this season. The Hokies dropped to 0-2.

How it Happened
• Carolina snared the doubles point to start the match with wins at No. 1 and No. 2.
• Chris Xu and Niels Ratiu, ranked #44 nationally in the most recent ITA rankings, topped Eyal Shumilov and Blake Hilsen, 6-2, at No. 1 doubles.
• Logan Zapp and Roan Jones clinched the doubles point with a 6-2 win at No. 2 over Ilyas Fahim and Patrik Jurina.
• Xu gave the Tar Heels a 2-0 lead with his straight-set, 6-1, 6-2, win over Fahim at No. 1 singles.
• Ranked #83 nationally in singles, Ratiu beat the Hokies' Shumilov, 6-2, 6-4, at No. 4 for a 2-0 Carolina team lead.
• Constantinos Djakouris picked up an impressive win at No. 5 singles to clinch the win, 6-0, 7-6 (9). He saved two set points while trailing, 4-6, in the second-set tiebreaker to seize the team victory and improve UNC to 2-1 this season.

Up Next
The Tar Heels will host North Carolina Central and Campbell in a doubleheader at the Chewning Tennis Center on Wednesday January 28.

Results
Doubles
1.#44 Niels Ratiu/Chris Xu (UNC) def. Eyal Shumilov/Blake Hilsen (Virginia Tech) 6-2
2.Logan Zapp/Roan Jones (UNC) def. Ilyas Fahim/Patrik Jurina (Virginia Tech), 6-2
3.Drew Fishback/Frank Thompson (Virginia Tech) vs. #83 Ian Mayew/Kase Schinnerer (UNC) 4-2 (unfinished)
(order of finish: 1, 2)

Singles
1.Chris Xu (UNC) def. Ilyas Fahim (Virginia Tech) 6-1, 6-2
2.#56 Roan Jones (UNC) vs. Patrik Jurina (Virginia Tech) 7-5, 3-6, 0-0 (unfinished)
3.Julian Lozano (Virginia Tech) led #84 Ian Mayew (UNC) 1-6, 7-6 (6), 2-0 (unfinished)
4.#83 Niels Ratiu (UNC) def. Eyal Shumilov (Virginia Tech) 6-2, 6-4
5.Constantinos Djakouris (UNC) def. Drew Fishback (Virginia Tech) 6-0, 7-6 (9) (clinch)
6.Anthony Wright (UNC) led Victor Kimpel (Virginia Tech) 7-5, 3-2 (unfinished)
(order of finish: 1, 4, 5)

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