CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The 16th-ranked Wake Forest men’s tennis team fell to No. 13 North Carolina, 4-3, Sunday at the Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Sunday’s loss marked only the third time since 2015 that the Demon Deacons (21-8, 5-3 ACC) have fallen to the Tar Heels and the first time since 2021. Despite the defeat, Wake Forest owns a 7-2 record against North Carolina in the last nine meetings between the two sides.
Doubles play was tightly contested early, before the Tar Heels (15-6, 7-2 ACC) went on to notch the point behind victories in the first and third slots. North Carolina’s momentum from doubles carried over into singles action as it won the opening set on 4/6 courts. The Demon Deacons stormed back in singles play, earning victories in first, fifth and sixth singles, before ultimately falling 4-3.
Senior No. 11 Melios Efstathiou continued his stellar 2023 campaign Sunday as the Limassol, Cyprus native notched his second-consecutive top-50 victory with a 6-2, 7-6 (7-4) win in first singles. Efstathiou owns a 16-3 record in dual singles matches this season, including a 5-1 mark over nationally-ranked foes.
Despite Sunday’s defeat, the Demon Deacons still sit fifth in the ACC and only three matches out of first with four matches remaining.
How It Happened
- Head coach Tony Bresky adjusted the doubles lineup as Filippo Moroni paired with Matthew Thomson and Melios Efstathiou teamed up with Juan Lopez de Azcona.
- The Demon Deacons got off to a solid start, taking a 2-0 lead in first doubles, while being tied 1-1 in second and third doubles.
- Through six games,…
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