Chapel Hill, North Carolina –Anuj Watan He came from behind to win the playoff spot as the North Carolina men’s tennis team beat #13 Harvard 4-1 in the ITA Kickoff Weekend championship game on Sunday. The two seeded teams played in front of a live-in crowd at the Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center to cap off an exciting weekend in Chapel Hill.
After dropping the first set to Stephen Sun in the fifth, Watan bounced back to win the next two sets 6-2 and seal the victory.
With the win, UNC advances to the ITA National Team Indoor Championships February 17-20 in Chicago. The Tar Heels won the ITA National Indoor title in both 2016 and 2021.
Carolina, ranked No. 17 in the ITA Top 25 Poll, improved to 4-1 this season. Harvard fell to 3-1.
“I am very proud of our youth,” said the coach Sam Paul He said then. “First of all, Harvard has a great team. We knew that coming here. We also knew that Oklahoma State [on Saturday] It will be a tough challenge for us. They have a great coach, and they’re getting a lot better. Putting two games together, back-to-back like that… I’m really proud of our guys.
“I’m really proud of the way we fought,” Paul continued. “This time last week, we had a long flight home from South Carolina. We were in pretty good shape, we thought, but things just didn’t go our way. I think that helped us come into the weekend. I’m really proud.” with men.”
The Tar Heels won the doubles point to start the afternoon. William Jansen W Carl Pauling 6-3 wins in third over Stephen Sun and Ronan Gachok to start. Casey Kania And Ryan Segerman He grabbed the spot 6-4 in first place over Daniel Milavski and Waldemar Pape’s 6-4.
Chris Lee He grabbed his first individual win of the day in sixth place. He trailed 4-1 to start the first set before storming back to win 6-4. Then he cruised into the second set, 6-1, to give Carolina a 2-0 advantage.
After Harvard pulled out a 2-1 victory over Bowling in the fourth, Jansen beat Yachuk 6-4, 6-4 to score a 3-1 Tar Heels. Watan then won the playoff spot for a punch ticket to Chicago.
Earlier in the day, No. 21 Columbia beat Oklahoma State, 4-0, in an ITA Kickoff consolation game in Chapel Hill.
The Tar Heels will be back in action with a pair of big home games next weekend when they host Illinois on Saturday at 4 p.m. and TCU on Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
Anuj Watan Send Carolina to Chicago!# gohels # Itackov pic.twitter.com/6Qe30cVvnL
– Carolina Men’s Tennis 🐏🎾 (carolinatennis) January 29, 2023
Harvard vs North Carolina 01/29/2023 at Chapel Hill, NC (Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center)
#17 North Carolina 4, #13 Harvard 1
Singles contest
1. Brian Cernoch (NC) v. #22 Von der Schulenburg (HAR) 5-7, 7-6 (7-5), incomplete.
2. #9 Ryan Segerman (NC) v. #46 Harris Walker (HAR) 7-6 (7-4), 1-6, 4-3, incomplete
3. Will Jansen (NC) def. Ronan Gaczuk (Har) 6-4, 6-4
4. Daniel Milavsky (Har) def. Carl Pauling (NC) 6-1, 6-4
5. Anuj Watan (NC) def. Stephen Sun (HAR) 1-6, 6-2, 6-2
6. Chris Lee (NC) def. Alan Yim (Har) 6-4, 6-1
Doubles competition
1. Casey Kania/Ryan Segerman (NC) def. Daniel Milavsky / Waldemar Pape (Har) 6-4
2. Brian Cernoch/Benjamin Kitai (NC) v. Harris Walker/Von der Schulenburg (HAR) 3-5, incomplete
3. Will Jansen/Carl Pauling (NC) def. Stephen Sun / Ronan Gaczuk (Har) 6-3
Match notes:
Harvard 3-1; National ranking #13
North Carolina 4-1; National ranking #17
Termination order: even (3,1); Singles (6,4,3,5)
T-2:33a-605