North Carolina State returned to the top 25 this week and had four matches scheduled for the weekend with two of them ranked opponents. However the Pack may have been caught looking ahead to Friday’s showdown with #6 Texas Tech because this afternoon it was upset by unranked UNC Wilmington 4-3.
Despite being an upset in terms of ranking, it wasn’t a surprise in terms of recent history because this was actually the third time in the last four meetings that the Seahawks have clipped the Wolfpack.
UNCW won a tightly contested doubles point with both #1 and #3 going to tiebreaks. UNCW won 6-2 at #2 and when Xander Veys/Javier Restrepo and pulled it out 7-6(4) at #1 the Seahawks had the crucial doubles point.
UNCW took first sets at 3, 4, 5, and 6 while NC State claimed them at 1 and 2. The only match to finish in straight sets would be at #5 as UNCW freshman Aviv Ben Shabat knocked off Shoti Meparidze 6-3, 6-2.
Agustin Savarino would extend the UNCW lead to 3-0 as he won 6-1, 2-6, 6-1 at #4 over Ivan Saveljic but NC State mounted a comeback everywhere else.
Thomas Weigel came back from a set down to win 5-7, 6-3, 6-3 at #3 over Javier Restrepo and Nick Horton pulled out a 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 win over Christiaan Van der Burgh at #2. Simon Norenius was pulling away from a cramping Santtu Leskinen in the third set at #1 so it was going to come down to #6 to decide it.
UNCW sophomore Andres Torres clinched the win by breaking NCST freshman Igor Saveljic’s 5-6 service game to make the final 7-6, 4-6, 7-5.
UNCW 4, #25 NC State 3
Feb 25, 2016 at Raleigh, N.C. (J.W. Isenhour Tennis Center)
Singles Competition
1. #83 Simon Norenius (ST 13.48) def. Santtu Leskinen (UNCW 13.22) 6-4, 6-7 (3-7), 6-2
2. #72 Nick Horton (ST 13.72) def. C. Van der Burgh (UNCW 12.56) 6-2, 5-7, 6-3
3. Thomas Weigel (ST 13.54) def. Javier Restrepo (UNCW 13.05) 5-7, 6-3, 6-3
4. Agustin Savarino (UNCW 13.16) def. Ivan Saveljic (ST 12.36) 6-1, 2-6, 6-1
5. Aviv Ben Shabat (UNCW 12.29) def. Shoti Meparidze (ST 12.43) 6-3, 6-2
6. Andres Torres (UNCW 12.56) def. Igor Saveljic (ST 12.73) 7-6 (7-4), 4-6, 7-5
Doubles Competition
1. Xander Veys/Javier Restrepo (UNCW) def. Igor Saveljic/Ivan Saveljic (ST) 7-6 (7-4)
2. C. Van der Burgh/Aviv Ben Shabat (UNCW) def. Simon Norenius/Nick Horton (ST) 6-2
3. Thomas Weigel/Shoti Meparidze (ST) vs. Santtu Leskinen/Agustin Savarino (UNCW) 6-6 (6-6),
Match Notes:
UNCW 4-3
NC State 10-4; National ranking #25
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1); Singles (5,4,3,2,6,1) A-79
“I’m very proud of my team today and the heart they showed,” said ninth-year UNCW Head Coach Mait DuBois. “The intensity we showed on every court no matter what the situation means a lot to me. N.C. State is a very good team that we have a lot of respect for them because they always play very hard. This win means a lot and is a step forward for our young group.”
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Memphis achieved a program-high ranking on Tuesday but it almost got picked off tonight by #60 SMU before pulling it out 4-2.
Memphis took the all-important doubles point with wins at #1 and #3 but SMU took four opening sets in singles. SMU’s Nate Lammons and Yates Johnson won in straight sets at #3 and #6 while Memphis’s Ryan Peniston and Felix Rauch won in straight sets at #1 and #5.
After dropping the opening set 7-5, Memphis’s Chris Patzanovsky took the second 6-1 and then closed out the third 7-5 to give the Tigers the win.
#17 Memphis 4, #60 SMU 2
Feb 25, 2016 at Dallas, Texas
Singles competition
1. Ryan Peniston (MEM 14.10) def. Hunter Johnson (SMU 13.42) 6-4, 6-3
2. Samm Butler (SMU 13.82) vs. Andrew Watson (MEM 13.82) 6-4, 5-7, 2-3, unfinished
3. Nate Lammons (SMU 13.97) def. Kai Lemke (MEM 13.47) 6-4, 6-2
4. Chris Patzanovsky (MEM 13.07) def. Ronald Slobodchikov (SMU 13.75) 5-7, 6-1, 7-5
5. Felix Rauch (MEM 12.69) def. Markus Kerner (SMU 13.13) 6-4, 6-4
6. Yates Johnson (SMU 13.19) def. Shakeel Manji (MEM 12.38) 7-5, 6-4
Doubles competition
1. Louis Asser/Kai Lemke (MEM) def. Hunter Johnson/Yates Johnson (SMU) 6-3
2. Nate Lammons/Arkadijs Slobodkins (SMU) def. Ryan Peniston/Felix Rauch (MEM) 6-4
3. Shakeel Manji/Andrew Watson (MEM) def. Markus Kerner/Ronald Slobodchikov (SMU) 6-4
Match Notes
Memphis 7-2; National ranking #17
SMU 5-4; National ranking #60
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (3,5,6,1,4)
T-2:50 A-59
Good chance they are no better than the 5th best team in the State(UNC,Wake,Duke,UNCW). They should beat UNCG though.
That's odd – I've got a fairly slow internet connection through ATT U-Verse and it works for me on all my browsers.
your multi- scoreboard page never works for me. It crashes my internet.
NC St not really very solid in dubs on 3-6 …..
Congrats to the Seahawks and Mait. Another big win for the program! Mait proves that he is the best developer of foreign players in the state.