April 4, 2014
THE FLATS – Nathan Rakitt pulled off an upset of the 19th-ranked player in the country, and Carlos Benito also won in singles to rally Georgia Tech from a 3-0 deficit Friday, but Virginia Tech held on and took a 5-2 victory over the Yellow Jackets at the Ken Byers Tennis Complex.
The victories by Rakitt and Benito were not enough to pull the Yellow Jackets (7-10, 1-6 ACC) out of a deep hole and prevent a fourth consecutive loss. The Hokies won their fourth consecutive match and improved to 11-7, 4-3 in the ACC.
Virginia Tech swept all three doubles matches, clinching the point when Joao Monteiro and Hunter Koontz outlasted the Yellow Jackets’ Nathan Rakitt and Cole Fiegel in a tiebreaker, 8-7 (7-6).
The Hokies quickly improved their lead to 3-0 after straight-set wins at the bottom of the singles lineup. Florian Nicoud downed Will Showers at No. 5, and Jai Corbett defeated Colin Edwards at No. 6 by identical scores of 6-1, 6-1.
Rakitt led the Tech charge on No. 1, fighting for a straight-set 7-6 (12-10), 6-1 triumph over Amerigo Contini, who at No. 19 was the highest-ranked player the Tech sophomore has beaten this year. Rakitt dealt the Hokie just his second loss of the season and won his third straight decision.
Carlos Benito then defeated Monteiro, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4, on court 4 to bring the Jackets within 3-2. With the attention of the crowd now on courts 2 and 3, Segura couldn’t get by the Hokies’ Bjerrehus at No. 2, losing two tiebreaks on the way to a tough 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-4) loss, clinching the match for the visitors. Feigel then took his opponent, Koontz, to a third set on No. 3, but also lost in a match-deciding tiebreaker, 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (7-1).
The Jackets try to rebound at 1 p.m. Saturday, when they host 4th-ranked Virginia at the Ken Byers Tennis Complex.
#38 Virginia Tech 5, Georgia Tech 2
April 4, 2014 at Atlanta, Ga. (Ken Byers Tennis Complex)
Singles competition
1. Nathan Rakitt (GT) def. #19 Amerigo Contini (VT) 7-6 (12-10), 6-1
2. Andreas Bjerrehus (VT) def. Eduardo Segura (GT) 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-4)
3. Hunter Koontz (VT) def. Cole Fiegel (GT) 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (7-1)
4. Carlos Benito (GT) def. Joao Monteiro (VT) 7-6 (7-5), 6-4
5. Florian Nicoud (VT) def. Will Showers (GT) 6-1, 6-1
6. Jai Corbett (VT) def. Colin Edwards (GT) 6-1, 6-2
Doubles competition
1. #64 Andreas Bjerrehus/Amerigo Contini (VT) def. #23 Eduardo Segura/Carlos Benito (GT) 8-7 (7-4)
2. Nathan Rakitt/Cole Fiegel (GT) def. Joao Monteiro/Hunter Koontz (VT) 8-7 (7-6)
3. Florian Nicoud/Jai Corbett (VT) def. Will Showers/Colin Edwards (GT) 8-3
Match Notes
Virginia Tech 11-7 (4-3 ACC); National ranking #38
Georgia Tech 7-10 (1-6 ACC)
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (5,6,1,4,2,3)
