April 26, 2018
CARY, N.C. – Despite losing the doubles point, junior Andrew Li led the charge as Georgia Tech men’s tennis clawed to a furious comeback, winning 4-3 against fifth-seeded Virginia Tech on Thursday afternoon at the Cary Tennis Park.
In their third-straight victory, the Yellow Jackets snapped the 31 st-ranked Hokies’ seven-match winning streak that extended back to March 29, when Tech dropped a heartbreaking, 4-3 decision against VT in Atlanta. Georgia Tech returns to the ACC Tournament quarterfinals for the fourth-straight year.
The Jackets were on their heels early as Virginia Tech came out rolling in the doubles matches. The No. 20 doubles team of Carlos Divar and Michael Kay were unable to topple Henrik Korsgaard and Alexandre Ribeiro, falling 6-2 before VT’s Carlo Donato and Mitch Harper clinched the doubles point with a 6-3 win over Elijah Melendez and Chris Yun.
The White and Gold battled back in singles, however, going up a set on four courts quickly to even the field. Phillip Gresk was unable to overcome Ribeiro at the No. 3 spot, falling 6-2, 6-1, before 61st-ranked Divar won handily over No. 29 Harper, snapping his seven-match win streak and getting Tech on the board.
The Yellow Jackets faced a 3-1 deficit after Korsgaard won at the No. 4 position over Melendez, 6-3, 6-3, but the hot racket of Yun delivered, taking his ninth-straight victory with a 6-1, 6-4 decision at No. 5 over Donato. Yun’s hot streak is in its 39th day, not having suffered a loss since March 18.
Senior Kay was then able to tie the match up at three points apiece, snapping his own cold streak by outlasting Jason Kros, 6-1, 6-4 at the No. 2 position.
In the same position that Tech faced against the Hokies in their last meeting, the match would come down to one final court.
Andrew Li was one of the early Jackets to go up a set, battling to a 6-3 advantage before Freddy Mesmer fought back in the second to win 6-2 and tie it up. Entering the third set with all eyes on Court 6, Li used his serve to go up 1-0 before continuing through on the aggressive attack to go up a break, 2-0.
Mesmer would get on the board, but not before Li was able to hold serve and stretch his lead to 5-2. With advancement in sight, Li quickly snatched the break point and, in the process, his fourth-straight victory to send the Jackets to the next round.
Georgia Tech men’s tennis will move to play fourth-seeded Notre Dame on Friday, April 27. First serve is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.
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