The Daily Tar Heel
Printing news. Raising hell. Since 1893.
Friday, March 29, 2024 Newsletters Latest print issue

We keep you informed.

Help us keep going. Donate Today.
The Daily Tar Heel

Men's tennis team captures Sweet 16 bid

North Carolina men's tennis coach Sam Paul was soaked. But it wasn't the three-hour rain delay that had him dripping wet at the Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center. Paul had just received a celebratory ice-water bath after his No. 11 Tar Heels advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1993. The Tar Heels (25-4) defeated No. 24 Clemson (23-10) by a 4-1 score in a water-logged regional final Sunday in Chapel Hill. By the time the clouds cleared after several sporadic showers, the Tar Heels clinched their first regional championship since the current tournament structure was instituted in 1994. On March 25, then-No. 12 UNC had to rally to pull out a dramatic come-from-behind win against then-No. 10 Clemson after losing the doubles point. On Sunday, the team was determined to get off to a better start. At No. 1, the senior tandem of Raian Luchici and Brad Pomeroy, ranked No. 5 nationally, avenged its earlier loss to Clemson's Clement Reix and Jarmaine Jenkins with an 8-3 win. Following a loss at No. 2, senior Derek Porter and junior Sebastian Guejman rallied to win the deciding match in a tiebreaker, 9-8 (7-5). "When we were out there, I saw our No. 1 team won and our No. 2 team was down," Porter said. "I looked at Sebastian and told him, 'I don't want this to be my last match and have us lose.'" After eight service breaks and a relinquished 5-1 lead in the tiebreaker, Guejman's perfectly placed backhand volley winner sealed the victory. "It gave us a really good boost," Paul said. "They fight so hard and they're so well-coached that we knew they'd give us a lot of problems." The three-hour rain delay that followed the doubles matches threatened to crush the team's momentum heading into singles play. However, for Porter, who has fought through injuries all season, and teammate Luchici, the break provided a chance to treat sore serving arms. "During the delay, Raian and I were getting a stem on our arms, and it took about 45 minutes for us to be ready to play again," Porter said. "I've got to thank our training staff and our coaches for keeping us focused." When play resumed, the Tar Heels took control in singles. Guejman was first off the courts at No. 4, giving the Tar Heels a 2-0 lead with a straight-set victory. At No. 1, Luchici lost to No. 30 Reix - just his second loss in 11 matches. Minutes later, Porter defeated Jenkins, 7-5, 7-5, at No. 3. "Winning my last match at home is the most meaningful thing for me," Porter said. "You never want to go out ending your career losing at home." With the Tar Heels up 3-1, all eyes turned to court four, where Parisian sophomore Benjamin Carlotti punched the team's ticket to the Sweet 16 with a 6-4, 6-2 win against Clemson's Ryan Young. As Carlotti pumped his fists in the air, the entire team mobbed him at center court. "I'm just really proud of my team," Paul said. "Again, the seniors set the tone, and we played really good tennis all the way up and down the lineup." The Tar Heels will travel to Stanford to face No. 6 Ohio State (27-1) at the NCAA Championships on Saturday. North Carolina will have revenge on its mind when it takes on the team that ended its 2004 NCAA tournament run in a regional final match in Chapel Hill. "For me and the rest of the seniors, it'd be very meaningful to get a little payback," Porter said. "I lost that match in 2004 in a 4-3 decider. We'll be ready for them this time." Sunday's performance followed a 4-0 first-round shutout of South Carolina State on Saturday. North Carolina's 25-win season ties the most wins in school history. The only other Tar Heel team to win 25 matches was the 1992 team, which reached the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament and finished 25-5. Luchici also received an individual honor last Saturday in the midst of his team's success. He was honored as the Mideast Regional Player of the Year thanks to a 25-7 singles record and a 16-6 mark against nationally ranked opponents. Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.

To get the day's news and headlines in your inbox each morning, sign up for our email newsletters.