Tar Heel Tennis Team Whips SDSU In ITA Kickoff Semifinals

Saturday, January 25

Durham, N.C.

1:30 PM

North Carolina

San Diego State

January 25, 2014 | Men's Tennis

By: UNC Athletic Communications

DURHAM, N.C. - Senior Nelson Vick clinched the match with a straight set win at #5 singles as the North Carolina men's tennis team defeated San Diego State 4-1 Saturday afternoon at Duke's Sheffield Indoor Tennis Center. The match was the second semifinal match of the ITA Kickoff Weekend at Duke with the 17th-ranked host Blue Devils winning the first match of the day over Oregon 4-1.

North Carolina (5-0) and Duke (2-2) will now face off against each other on Sunday at 4 p.m. in Durham with the winner advancing to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Team Indoor National Championships February 14-16 in College Station, Texas.

The Tar Heels claimed the doubles point against the Aztecs (2-1) as the freshman tandem of Ronnie Schneider and Jack Murray defeated Juan Florez and Mile Ianakiev 6-2 at the #3 spot. The Tar Heels then earned the point with a win at #1 doubles as sophomore Brett Clark and freshman Brayden Schnur overcame Hunter Nicholas and Thorsten Bertsch 6-4 at the #1 spot.

San Diego State evened things up quickly as Freddy Gelbrich of the Aztecs beat UNC's Brett Clark 6-4, 6-1 at #3 singles, handing Clark his first singles loss of the dual match season.

From then on it was all Carolina, led by the Tar Heel freshmen playing at #1 and #2 in the lineup and then finished off by a senior co-captain. Ronnie Schneider, ranked 17th nationally, defeated Nicholas 6-4, 6-2 at #2 singles followed by a win by reigning ACC Player of the Week Brayden Schnur, the Canadian newcomer, at #1 singles. Schnur improved to 4-0 this spring by beating 69th-ranked Thorsten Bertsch 6-2, 6-3.

Carolina then clinched the match with senior co-captain Nelson Vick coming through big at the #5 singles spot. He defeated Maxi Boewer-Stelter of SDSU 6-1, 6-4. The ITA Kickoff Weekend format calls for the match to be suspended once either team reaches four points. UNC's Jack Murray led in the second set of his match at #6 singles and Oystein Steiro trailed in his match at #4 singles when play was halted.

#42 North Carolina 4, #50 San Diego State 1

Doubles (Team Winning Majority Of Matches Earns One Team Point)

Order of match finish: (3, 1)

Notes: Tiebreakers played at 5-5

1. Brett Clark and Brayden Schnur (UNC) d. Hunter Nicholas and Thorsten Bertsch (SDSU), 6-4

2. Freddy Gelbrich and Hendrik Jebens (SDSU) led #50 Oystein Steiro and Nelson Vick (UNC), 5-4, suspended

3. Jack Murray and Ronnie Schneider (UNC) d. Juan Florez and Milen Ianakiev (SDSU), 6-2

Singles (One Team Point Per Singles Match)

Order of match finish: (3,2,1,5)

1. Brayden Schnur (UNC) d. #69 Thorsten Bertsch (SDSU), 6-2, 6-3

2. #17 Ronnie Schneider (UNC) d. Hunter Nicholas (SDSU), 6-4, 6-2

3. Freddy Gelbrich (SDSU) d. #36 Brett Clark (UNC), 6-4, 6-1