A matchup between two of the nation’s top five men’s tennis teams on Wednesday saw the top-ranked Wake Forest Demon Deacons hold off the No. 5 Tar Heels for a 4-3 victory at the Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center in Chapel Hill.

The Demon Deacons (15-1, 4-1 ACC) won the doubles point, then withstood a furious rally in singles play to hand the Tar Heels (13-4, 4-1 ACC) their first ACC loss of the season.

UNC fell behind 3-1 in the team score after Wake Forest took two of the first three singles matches, but wins from sophomore William Blumberg and freshman Mac Kiger evened the score at 3-3.

At that point, it all came down to the match between UNC’s Simon Soendergaard and Wake Forest’s Bar Botzer.

It was the only three-set match of the afternoon, but Botzer was the one who came out victorious–taking the final two sets 7-5, 6-3 after Soendergaard cruised to a 6-1 win in the first set.

“I knew our guys wouldn’t quit and it comes down to the last match, and there we go … a couple points here and there,” Tar Heel head coach Sam Paul said afterwards. “They outplayed us in a couple of spots but I think we learned a lot today about our team. I told our team, ‘The prize is in May.’ We’ve got some more work to do.”

Up Next:

The Tar Heels will return to action on Sunday when they host Virginia in a rematch of last year’s NCAA Tournament Final won by the Cavaliers.

 

 

Photo via UNC Athletics

Related Stories
‹
Men's Tennis: No. 11 UNC Comes Up Short in Upset Bid Against No. 3 Wake Forest
Despite taking a 2-0 lead on Wednesday afternoon in Winston-Salem the 11th-ranked UNC men’s tennis team was unable to complete its upset bid against the No. 3 Wake Forest Demon Deacons–losing by a score of 5-2. This gives the Tar Heels an 0-2 record against Wake Forest this season, and drops their overall mark to […]
Men's Tennis: No. 1 Wake Forest Eliminates No. 8 UNC From ITA National Indoor Tournament
The eighth-ranked UNC men’s tennis team was defeated 4-2 by the top-ranked Wake Forest Demon Deacons on Sunday in Chicago as part of the semifinals of the ITA National Indoor Tournament. Wake Forest is the defending national champion of the event, which UNC last won in 2016. After the Demon Deacons won the doubles point, […]
NCAA Men's Singles Tournament: Blumberg Stunned by Wake Forest's Borna Gojo in Quarterfinals
Prior to falling in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Men’s Tennis Doubles Tournament later on Saturday evening alongside teammate Robert Kelly, UNC sophomore sensation William Blumberg suffered a crushing three-set loss to Wake Forest’s Borna Gojo (4-6, 6-4, 6-3) in the NCAA Singles Tournament Quarterfinals. Blumberg appeared to be in control of the proceedings after […]
Top-Ranked Wake Forest Sweeps UNC to Win ACC Men's Tennis Championship
The quest for the first the program’s first ACC Men’s Tennis Tournament title since 2002 ended with a thud Sunday afternoon at the Cary Tennis Center for the No. 2 seed Tar Heels–which found themselves on the wrong end of a 4-0 sweep at the hands of the top-ranked Wake Forest Demon Deacons. UNC drops […]
Tar Heels Shock No. 1 Wake Forest to Advance to First Ever NCAA Men's Tennis Final Four
As the clock struck midnight to enter into the wee hours of Sunday morning, Blaine Boyden watched as his shot sailed past Wake Forest’s Alan Gadijev–and lifted the UNC men’s tennis team to its first ever NCAA Final Four. The sophomore put the finishing touches on a 4-2 upset victory for the ninth-seeded Tar Heels […]
UNC's Blumberg Earns 4th Straight NCAA Men's Singles Quarterfinal Appearance
Make it four consecutive appearances in the NCAA Men’s Singles Tournament quarterfinals for UNC senior William Blumberg, as he made quick work of Kentucky’s Gabriel Diallo on Tuesday afternoon in Orlando. The only 10-time All-American in ITA history, Blumberg needed less than an hour to take down the 14th-ranked Diallo in straight sets (6-3, 6-1). […]
William Blumberg, Rinky Hijikata Each Move On in NCAA Men's Singles Championship
Both Tar Heels competing in the NCAA Men’s Singles Championships won their first-round matches on Sunday, as senior William Blumberg and sophomore Rinky Hijikata each earned their places in the Round of 32. Blumberg won his match 6-4, 6-4 against Big Ten Player of the Year Cannon Kingsley of Ohio State, while Hijikata survived a […]
No. 11 Georgia Holds Off Comeback Attempt by No. 6 UNC in NCAA Men's Tennis Tournament Round of 16
The No. 6 seed UNC men’s tennis team made a spirited comeback attempt on Monday in Orlando, before ultimately falling 4-3 to No. 11 Georgia in the NCAA Tournament Round of 16. Georgia (17-6) won the doubles point to begin the match, then went ahead 2-0 with a singles victory from Phillip Henning (6-3, 6-4) […]
No. 3 UNC Men's Tennis Rallies, Stuns No. 2 Wake Forest in ACC Semifinals
Down 3-2 on Saturday in Rome, Georgia, the No. 3 seed UNC men’s tennis team rallied to win the final two singles matches of the day against No. 2 seed Wake Forest–pulling off a 4-3 victory in the ACC Championship semifinals. Rinky Hijikata (5-7, 6-3, 7-6) and Josh Peck (4-6, 6-2, 7-6) each won in […]
Men's Tennis: No. 3 UNC Edges Past Miami
The No. 3 ranked UNC men’s tennis team did just enough on Friday in Chapel Hill, squeaking past Miami by a score of 4-3 after scoring the first four points of the match. After winning the doubles point to take the 1-0 lead, UNC (16-2) then won three consecutive singles matches to clinch the team […]
›