On Sunday, the No. 8 North Carolina men's tennis team (7-2) was eliminated by No. 1 Wake Forest, 4-2, in the semifinals of the ITA National Team Indoor Championship in Chicago.
What happened?
The Tar Heels started the tournament with a dominant win against No. 9 Baylor. The team won 4-0, winning all their singles points in two sets.
UNC went on to face No. 15 TCU in the second round. The Tar Heels got a big doubles point, winning two matches by scores of 6-2. The men were able to jump out to a 2-0 lead after a quick two-set win by sophomore Benjamin Sigouin.
However, the Horned Frogs came roaring back with two victories of their own to even up the score. Senior Blaine Boyden responded with a huge win after dropping his first set. After a TCU win to knot the score at three apiece, the last match would decide which team would advance. Junior Joshua Peck was able to win in three sets, securing a 4-3 North Carolina victory and a spot in the ITA semifinals.
No. 1 Wake Forest was the next opponent for the Tar Heels. The Demon Deacons were coming off a narrow 4-3 victory of their own against the Bruins of UCLA on Saturday. Sunday’s competition started with a tightly contested doubles round, including two matches that were decided by a tiebreaker. Wake Forest eventually was able to secure the doubles point, however, putting North Carolina in an early 1-0 hole.
The Tar Heels got off to a strong start in singles play, securing wins in their first two singles matches thanks to Boyden and first-year Brian Cernoch. An upset was not to be, however; the Demon Deacons would respond by winning the next three matches, eliminating UNC to clinch a spot in the championship game.
Who stood out?
Peck got a win when the Tar Heels needed it most. He showed resilience after falling behind by one set, winning the next two sets and earning the victory. His win single-handedly allowed the Tar Heels to advance to the next round, keeping their championship hopes alive.
