When things got tough for the No. 2 North Carolina men’s tennis team, it responded.
The Tar Heels pulled out a win against N.C. State 5-2 in Raleigh on Sunday after falling behind briefly.
The Tar Heels (18-1, 3-1 ACC) grabbed the first team point, winning two out of three in doubles. Redshirt senior Andrew Gores and junior Jack Murray got off the court first with a 6-1 win. Then the team of senior Brett Clark and sophomore Robert Kelly, one of the best duos in the nation, notched a 6-4 win for the deciding second doubles victory.
“When you have a teammate that you can rely on all the time like (Clark), who is so solid, you go into the match a lot more confident that ‘you know what, I can swing away because, even if I do lose, (Clark) will be there for a win and so it’ll cancel my loss out,” Kelly said.
But that momentum did not carry over into singles.
The Tar Heels dropped their first two singles matches and N.C. State snatched a 2-1 lead. But North Carolina responded. Clark and Kelly both earned singles victories in straight sets to give the Tar Heels the lead for good.
Leading 3-2, the Tar Heels needed a win from Murray to secure the victory over the Wolfpack. And he delivered in dominating fashion with a 6-0, 6-0 victory.
First year Anudeep Kodali concluded the match with another point for North Carolina when he finished with a 6-2, 6-2 victory.
The win is the third straight for the Tar Heels and second in three days. Clark said the win showed the toughness the team needs to overcome adversity.
