When looking at the North Carolina men’s tennis team, nobody would argue that this team is a shadow of the UNC squad that finished in the top 20 in the country last year.
After being ranked in the top 15 in the preseason polls, it has been a pretty disheartening season so far, as UNC has slipped to No. 40 in the rankings and holds a 14-7 record, with just a 4-4 mark in ACC play.
Against No. 3 Virginia on Sunday, No. 1 singles player Raian Luchici likely didn’t play his best match of the season, but that probably wouldn’t have even made a difference as he was crushed 6-2, 6-0 by the No. 11 player in the country.
After the Tar Heels graduated their clear-cut No. 1 and first team All-American Nick Monroe, Luchici has been forced to leave the comforting spot of No. 4 singles — where he thrived last season — and step up against the big boys and play in the top slot.
While Luchici has been able to hold his own, even earning a No. 80 national ranking, he’s not as talented as many of his opponents, and his 10-9 record as the No. 1 player just hasn’t been enough to put the Tar Heels into the upper echelon of the nation’s teams.
Virginia, on the other hand, has been dominating its opponents all season, as they have only dropped two matches all season — both to the No. 1 team in the nation, Baylor.
With that impressive of a squad, it’s no surprise that some are saying the Cavaliers will challenge for the national championship.
And things don’t get any easier for the Tar Heels, either. They host No. 5 Duke today — a team that they haven’t defeated since before the second Clinton administration.
Against Duke, the Tar Heels will try to avoid a three-game losing streak — they fell Friday to Wake Forest before losing to UVa.
