April 12, 2009
ATLANTA – – In the final match of the regular season, the Georgia Tech men’s tennis team defeated No. 36 North Carolina 7-0 on Easter Sunday at the Bill Moore Tennis Center. With the win, the Jackets (10-10, 5-6 ACC) locked up the No. 7 seed heading into the ACC Championships, and will face 10th-seeded N.C. State Thursday at 12 p.m. in Cary, N.C.
“I told the guys we are getting better the whole season, and I it took the last match of regular season to show that we improved at every spot,” head coach Kenny Thorne said. “This team has come together and fought extremely hard all year, and this was a must-win match for us. To win it 7-0 was a tribute to these players’ desire and dedication.”
It was a battle from the start as neither team wanted to surrender the crucial doubles point. On court three, sophomore Miguel Muguruza and junior Austin Roebuck got things started for Tech with an 8-5 victory over UNC’s Brennen Boyajian and Zach Hunter. The Heels would get one back at the No. 1 position in what would be the closest match of the day. The duo of Taylor Fogleman and Clay Donato outlasted Tech sophomore Guillermo Gomez and Ryan Smith, 9-8 (2) in the tiebreaker for the win. After being down 15-40 with the match tied at six apiece, Freshman Kevin King and sophomore Doug Kenny rallied back for an 8-6 win to put the Jackets on top 1-0.
The Jackets went up 2-0 in singles, as Gomez picked up his 27th win on the year with a 6-1, 6-4 win over UNC’s Clay Donato at No. 1. The nation’s 16th-ranked singles player ends the regular season on a four-match win streak. Smith put Tech one win away from the clinch soon after with a 6-3, 6-4 triumph over Luke Mojica at No. 5.
After sitting out doubles play on the day, sophomore Miguel Muguruza would be the spark the Jackets needed as he fought to a 7-5, 6-4 win at No. 2 en route to the clinch for Tech.
Potvin put Tech up 5-0 on court three with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Crone. The sophomore from Hampden, Maine grabbed his 22nd win of the year and 11th in dual match play.
Even at one set apiece, King and UNC’s Brennan Boyajian played the third as a 10-point tie-breaker. King rallied back after being down 8-2 in the set for the 10-8 win, and 5-7, 6-4, 1-0 (8) victory as the Jackets made it 6-0.
The final match of the day, Roebuck defeated Hunter 6-0, 3-6, 7-6 (6) as the Jackets won all six singles matches for the first time in conference play this season.
Match Results
#47 Georgia Tech 7, #36 North Carolina 0
Singles competition1. #16 Guillermo Gomez (GT) def. #35 Clay Donato (UNC) 6-1, 6-42. Miguel Muguruza (GT) def. #53 Taylor Fogleman (UNC) 7-5, 6-43. Eliot Potvin (GT) def. Andrew Crone (UNC) 6-4, 6-34. Kevin King (GT) def. Brennan Boyajian (UNC) 5-7, 6-4, 1-0 (10-8)5. Ryan Smith (GT) def. Luke Mojica (UNC) 6-3, 6-46. Austin Roebuck (GT) def. Zach Hunter (UNC) 6-0, 3-6, 7-6 (8-6)
Doubles competition 1. #27 Clay Donato/Taylor Fogleman (UNC) def. #46 Guillermo Gomez/Ryan Smith (GT) 9-8 (7-2) 2. Doug Kenny/Kevin King (GT) def. Andrew Crone/Alex Rafiee (UNC) 8-6 3. Eliot Potvin/Austin Roebuck (GT) def. Brennan Boyajian/Zach Hunter (UNC) 8-5
Match Notes: North Carolina 15-9, 4-7 ACC; National ranking #36 Georgia Tech 10-10, 5-6 ACC; National ranking #47 Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (1,5,2,3,4,6)
