North Carolina
Clemson
No. 17 Tar Heels Defeat No. 58 Tigers 4-3
April 8, 2011 | Men's Tennis
April 8, 2011
CLEMSON, S.C. - North Carolina scored a comeback away victory Friday afternoon, defeating the No. 58 Clemson Tigers 4-3 from Clemson, S.C.
With the victory, North Carolina improves to 6-1 in the ACC, while the Tigers fall to 2-6.
Clemson grabbed the doubles point behind wins at No. 1 and 3 doubles. At No. 2, the No. 59 pairing of Joey Burkhardt and Stefan Hardy defeated Clemson's Derek DiFazio and Robert Pietrucha by an 8-3 score.
In singles, Jose Hernandez made quick work of DiFazio in the top flight. Thirty-eighth ranked Hernandez won 6-0, 6-4 to level the match at one apiece. Clemson responded quickly through Yannick Maden, who defeated Boyajian in the second flight to again give the Tigers the lead. Hardy then brought the Tar Heels back level with a 6-1, 6-4 victory in the third flight.
With each team needing two of the last three flights for the victory, all three matches were heading into the third set. As they have all season, the Tar Heels raised their level at just the right time. After dropping the second set, Joey Burkhardt came back to defeat Gerardo Meza at four, 6-4, 1-6, 6-4. William Parker provided yet another crucial victory at five, coming from a set down to win 3-6, 6-1, 6-3.
The Tar Heels finish their four-game road swing Sunday, when they take on No. 19 Georgia Tech. The match will be the second meeting of the year for the ACC opponents, with North Carolina taking the first 4-3 at the beginning of the season.
No. 17 UNC 4, No. 58 Clemson 3
Records: UNC 11-5 (6-1 ACC), Clemson 15-8 (2-6 ACC)
Singles:
1. #38 Jose Hernandez (UNC) d. Derek DiFazio (CU) 6-0, 6-4
2. Yannick Maden (CU) d. Brennan Boyajian (UNC) 6-4, 6-0
3. Stefan Hardy (UNC) d. Kevin Galloway (CU) 6-1, 6-4
4. Joey Burkhardt (UNC) d. Gerardo Meza (CU) 6-4, 1-6, 6-4
5. William Parker (UNC) d. Robert Pietrucha (CU) 3-6, 6-1, 6-3
6. Cal Hilsman (CU) d. Zach Hunter (UNC) 6-3, 5-7, 6-2
Doubles:
1. Yannick Maden and Zachary Rigsby (CU) d. #21 Brennan Boyajian and Jose Hernandez (UNC) 8-2
2. #59 Joey Burkhardt and Stefan Hardy (UNC) d. Derek DiFazio and Robert Pietrucha (CU) 8-3
3. Juan Bolona and Dominique Maden (CU) d. Cameron Ahari and William Parker (UNC) 8-5
Players Mentioned
