Friday, January 25
Winston-Salem, N.C.
5:00 PM
Wake Forest University
4
vs
0
BYU
Photo by: Brian Westerholt/Sports On Film
Demon Deacons Sweep BYU, 4-0, in ITA Kick-Off Weekend Opener
1/25/2019 8:10:00 PM | Men's Tennis
Wake Forest will face Memphis on Saturday in the second round of the event
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The top-ranked Wake Forest men's tennis team swept BYU, 4-0, Friday (Jan. 25) evening in the first round of the ITA Kick-Off Weekend at the Wake Forest Tennis Center.
The Demon Deacons (4-0) now face Memphis, who defeated Old Dominion in Friday's first match, on Saturday with a spot in the ITA National Team Indoor Championship on the line. Wake Forest is looking to defend its title at the event after defeating UCLA in the championship match a year ago.
Wake Forest dominated doubles play to quickly jump out to a 1-0 lead over the Cougars (3-2). Siddhant Banthia and Melios Efstathiou started the doubles dominance, securing a 6-2 win at the No. 3 spot. Petros Chrysochos and Bar Botzer clinched the doubles point by upsetting the 19th-ranked duo of Sean Hill and Jeffrey Hsu, 6-1. Alan Gadjiev and Julian Zlobinsky were up 5-1 when their No. 2 doubles match was abandoned.
The Deacs were tested early in singles, with three opening sets going to tiebreakers. Wake Forest secured the early lead by claiming the opening set on five of the six courts, with Chrysochos dropping a first-set tiebreaker to Hill. It was a meeting of former teammates as Hill was a member of the Demon Deacons during the fall of his freshman season (2016-17).
Zlobinsky, who trailed 4-1 early in the opening set stormed back, winning 11 of the next 13 games to take a 6-4, 6-2 decision at No. 6 singles. Yuval Solomon extended the lead to 3-0 with a 7-6(1), 6-4 victory at No. 5 singles before Melios Efstathiou sealed the sweep with a 7-6(5), 6-2 victory at the No. 3 spot. All remaining matches were abandoned.
First serve between the Deas and Memphis is set for 5 p.m. on Saturday. The match will follow the consolation match between Old Dominion and BUY, set for a 2 p.m. first serve.
The Demon Deacons (4-0) now face Memphis, who defeated Old Dominion in Friday's first match, on Saturday with a spot in the ITA National Team Indoor Championship on the line. Wake Forest is looking to defend its title at the event after defeating UCLA in the championship match a year ago.
Wake Forest dominated doubles play to quickly jump out to a 1-0 lead over the Cougars (3-2). Siddhant Banthia and Melios Efstathiou started the doubles dominance, securing a 6-2 win at the No. 3 spot. Petros Chrysochos and Bar Botzer clinched the doubles point by upsetting the 19th-ranked duo of Sean Hill and Jeffrey Hsu, 6-1. Alan Gadjiev and Julian Zlobinsky were up 5-1 when their No. 2 doubles match was abandoned.
The Deacs were tested early in singles, with three opening sets going to tiebreakers. Wake Forest secured the early lead by claiming the opening set on five of the six courts, with Chrysochos dropping a first-set tiebreaker to Hill. It was a meeting of former teammates as Hill was a member of the Demon Deacons during the fall of his freshman season (2016-17).
Zlobinsky, who trailed 4-1 early in the opening set stormed back, winning 11 of the next 13 games to take a 6-4, 6-2 decision at No. 6 singles. Yuval Solomon extended the lead to 3-0 with a 7-6(1), 6-4 victory at No. 5 singles before Melios Efstathiou sealed the sweep with a 7-6(5), 6-2 victory at the No. 3 spot. All remaining matches were abandoned.
First serve between the Deas and Memphis is set for 5 p.m. on Saturday. The match will follow the consolation match between Old Dominion and BUY, set for a 2 p.m. first serve.