Men’s tennis seeks to knock off Georgia

They say revenge is a dish best served cold — but the North Carolina men’s tennis team looks to serve up their revenge in both the literal and emotional Georgia heat as they take on the No. 8 Bulldogs at their home court in Athens, Ga.

UNC is no stranger to tough matches, and playing the Bulldogs at their home court in the Sweet Sixteen round of the NCAA tournament deals the team a unique challenge.

The team seeks to avenge its 4-0 loss to Georgia in the same round in 2012. The two teams did not face each other during the regular season this year, but Georgia leads the all-time series 11-7.

“There’s nothing special about that team,” freshman Brayden Schnur said. “They’re very good, of course, but we’re a good team, too.”

The Bulldogs have historically performed well in the tournament. Georgia holds the all-time NCAA tournament record at 98-31, and Friday’s match against UNC will mark their 11th-straight appearance in the round of sixteen.

UNC’s NCAA tournament record tips toward the losing side at 20-22. Last weekend, the team swept South Carolina State in the first round and beat South Carolina 4-1 in the second round.

Freshman Ronnie Schneider, who fought through tough doubles and singles matches against USC last Sunday, said the team is excited to go to Athens.

“It’s always been a dream of mine,” he said.

Coach Sam Paul said his team is prepared for the increasingly tough matches ahead as it advances in the tournament.

“We learned some things today about how to manage a few things a little better, if we get up in a spot, how to keep plugging a little bit,” Paul said after Sunday’s hard-fought victory.

And dealing with a loud crowd in Athens, the Tar Heels will have to keep plugging to defeat Georgia and advance to the quarterfinals.

Georgia will enjoy a home-court advantage for the remainder of the tournament, so unlike other teams traveling to Athens, UNC will face a larger, louder crowd — cheering mostly against them.

For the Tar Heels, it will be all about execution and playing their game despite the loud, energetic and possibly hostile environment.

“I think we just need to focus on our court, just not get distracted with everything going on around us, with the big crowd and how loud they’re gonna be,” Schnur said.

And if the Tar Heels manage to do it at Georgia’s own court, revenge will be that much sweeter.

Contact the desk editor at sports@dailytarheel.com