North Carolina defeats Clemson in NCAA Men’s Tennis Second Round.

May 14, 2006

CHAPEL HILL, NC–The No. 11-ranked University of North Carolina men’s tennis team earned its first berth in the NCAA Sweet 16 since 1993 Sunday afternoon as the Tar Heels defeated 22nd-ranked Clemson 4-1 in the NCAA Tournament second round at the Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center.

The victory improved North Carolina to 25-4 while Clemson finishes the season with a 23-10 record.

North Carolina jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the match after a doubles. At No. 1, UNC’s fifth-ranked doubles team of Raian Luchici and Brad Pomeroy defeated Jarmaine Jenkins and Clement Reix 8-3. At No. 2 doubles Sander Koning and Ryan Young won five of the last seven games of the match to win 8-5. That left court three as the deciding match. Clemson’s Paul Koenke and Brett Twente were up two breaks at 6-3 before Derek Porter and Sebastian Guejman won the next three games to equal the score 6-6 and in the process broke Clemson’s serve twice. Guejman then was broken in the 13th game while the Tar Heels wasted two game points that could have put them up 7-6. Serving for the match at 7-6, Clemson’s Koenke and Twente lost their serve and Porter and Guejman then held serve in the 15th game to lead 8-7. Koenke and Twente then forced the tiebreaker with a win in game 16.

The match to decide the doubles point went to a tiebreaker with Clemson winning the first point and Carolina then winning five points in a row. The Tigers rallied with four straight points to even the tiebreaker at 5-5. But UNC broke Clemson on the 11th point and then won the tiebreaker 7-5 with senior Derek Porter serving on the 12th and deciding point.

Singles started outside for only a brief period of time before a 2:10 rain delay stopped play. Play resumed at 5:10 p.m. Eastern Time.

UNC sophomore Sebastian Guejman defeated the Tigers’ Clint Boling 6-2, 6-1 at number five singles.

At number one singles, No. 30-ranked Clement Reix of Clemson concluded a mild upset of North Carolina’s Raian Luchici, ranked No. 10 nationally, 6-4, 6-4 at the No. 1 spot.

With UNC’s lead cut to 2-1, senior Derek Porter broke Jarmaine Jenkins of Clemson in the 12th game of the second set to claim a 7-5, 7-5 at number three singles..

North Carolina clinched the win as sophomore Benjamin Carlotti defeated Ryan Young 6-4, 6-2 at number four singles. After being broken in the sixth game of the set, Carlotti broke right back and then served for the match, winning on a 40-15 point in the eighth game as his half volley drop shot winner resulted in match point.

Score: No. 11 North Carolina 4, No. 22 Clemson 1

Doubles (pro sets, team winning at least two of three matches earns one team point)

No. 1 #5 Raian Luchici / Brad Pomeroy (UNC) d. Jarmaine Jenkins / Clement Reix (CU), 8-3

No. 2 Sander Koning / Ryan Young (CU) d. Lenny Gullan / David Stone (UNC), 8-5

No. 3 Sebastian Guejman / Derek Porter (UNC) d. Paul Koenke / Brett Twente (CU), 9-8 (7-5)

Order of Finish: #1, #2, #3

(North Carolina claims doubles point to lead match 1-0)

Singles (best of three sets)

No. 1 #30 Clement Reix (CU) d. #10 Raian Luchici (UNC), 6-4, 6-4

No. 2 Brad Pomeroy (UNC) vs. #94 Sander Koning (CU), 6-3, 3-6, suspended

No. 3 Derek Porter (UNC) d. Jarmaine Jenkins (CU), 7-5, 7-5

No. 4 Benjamin Carlotti (UNC) d. Ryan Young (CU), 6-4, 6-2