March 28, 2014
THE FLATS – After playing four straight home matches around spring break, Tech goes on the road this week to face 25th-ranked Wake Forest at 1 p.m. Saturday and No. 43 NC State at noon Sunday.
Live Scoring – Wake Forest match | Live Scoring – NC State match
Tech (7-7, 1-3 ACC) continues a tough stretch of matches against conference opponents, many of whom are ranked among the nation’s top 25 teams by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. The short-handed Yellow Jackets split a pair of matches last weekend, knocking off Boston College with just five available players for their first ACC win of the spring, then dropping a 6-1 decision to No. 11 Notre Dame.
The Demon Deacons, playing their first home match in conference play, are 9-7 overall and winless in the ACC after dropping a pair of close matches, both by 4-3 scores, at Miami and Florida State. The Wolfpack also are winless in conference play at 0-4 (11-7 overall), having dropped three straight 4-3 matches to North Carolina, FSU and Miami.
“We have two tough road matches this weekend,” said Tech coach Kenny Thorne. “We watched a lot of video this past week and know the areas in which we need to improve. Now it is basically toughening up and playing better. I always look forward to the challenges on the road.”
Freshman Cole Fiegel (Alachua, Fla.) has shined in singles for the Yellow Jackets, winning his last eight decisions (three matches unfinished) in dual matches to improve to 10-1. He has moved up to the No. 4 position and gone 4-1 there. Tech’s top three singles players are sophomore Nathan Rakitt (6-7), Carlos Benito (6-7) and Eduardo Segura (6-5).
Benito and Segura are ranked 23rd in the nation in doubles and have forged a 10-3 record playing at the top of the Yellow Jackets’ doubles lineup.
