Men's Tennis Edges North Carolina State 4-3
January 23, 2009 | Men's Tennis
Jan. 23, 2009
RALEIGH, N.C. - - The University of Louisville men's tennis team edged host North Carolina State 4-3 Friday, Jan. 23, in Raleigh, N.C. The Cards improve to 3-0 on the season, while the Wolfpack drops to 2-1.
"Austen was down a service break in the third set, Simon was down a set and two breaks, Viktor was down two match points, Hall was down a match point and all four of them found a way to win their matches," said U of L head coach Rex Ecarma. "This team is comprised of guys with a lot of heart that do not want to lose. We definitely snatched victory out of the jaws of defeat. Our guys found a way to win against a very good team at their place and it was a gratifying feeling. It's so much fun to coach this team."
Senior Robert Rotaru and sophomore Alejandro Calligari fell to NC State's Jay Weinacker and Jaime Pulgar 8-1, at No. 2 to start the day, but the other two doubles matches went down to the wire. Sophomores Austen Childs and Simon Childs withstood a rally and held on to beat Christian Welte and Julian Sullivan 9-8 (7-4) at the top seed. The doubles point came down to the No. 3 spot, where NC State's Frideric Prandecki and David Chermak outlasted freshman Sumit-Prakash Gupta and sophomore Viktor Maksimcuk 9-8(3), to give NC State the early 1-0 lead.
The Pack increased the lead to 2-0 when Pulgar defeated Rotaru, 6-3, 6-4, at No. 4. At the three spot, Simon Childs pulled the Cards within one when he rebounded after dropping the first set to Derek Stephens 6-3 and went on to win 6-4, 6-3. No. 47 Austen Childs handed No. 55 Weinacker his first loss of the season with a 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(2) decision at the top seed to tie the match at 2-2. Maksimcuk gave the Cards a 3-2 lead with his 3-6, 7-5, 7-5 win over No. 124 Welte at No. 2.
Freshman Robert Hall clinched the win for the Cards outlasting Chermak 6-2, 0-6,7-6(9-7), at No. 5. NC State's Eric Turner beat Calligari, 6-2, 7-6(12-10) at No. 6 for the final 4-3 tally.
U of L will return to the Bass-Rudd Tennis for a noon match against Maryland Sunday.
No. 45 Louisville d. No. 49 NC State, 4-3
Doubles
1. Childs/Childs (UL) d. Welte/Sullivan (NCS) 9-8(4)
2. Weinacker/Pulgar (NCS) d. No. 44 Rotaru/Calligari (UL), 8-1
3. Chermak/Frideric Prandecki (NCS) d. Maksimcuk/Sumit-Prakash Gupta (UL) 9-8(3)
Order of finish: 2,1,3
Singles
1. No. 47 Austen Childs (UL) d. No. 55 Jay Weinacker (NCS) 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(2)
2. Viktor Maksimcuk (UL) d. No. 124 Christian Welte (NCS) 3-6, 7-5, 7-5
3. No. 65 Simon Childs (UL) d. Derek Stephens (NCS) 3-6, 6-4, 6-3
4. Jaime Pulgar (NCS) d. Robert Rotaru (UL), 6-3, 6-4
5. Robert Hall (UL) d. David Chermak (NCS) 6-2, 0-6,7-6(9-7)
6. Eric Turner (NCS) d. Alejandro Calligari (UL) 6-2, 7-6(12-10)
Order of finish: 4,3,1,2,5*,6
*Clinches the win
Release courtesy of NC State
Players Mentioned
