North Carolina
Clemson
Tar Heels Down No. 72 Clemson 4-3 To End Regular Season
April 19, 2015 | Men's Tennis
CLEMSON, S.C. – The 15th-ranked North Carolina men's tennis team finished the regular season on a high note Sunday, notching a 4-3 victory over No. 72 Clemson at Clemson Indoor Tennis Center. With the win, the Tar Heels will head into the postseason sitting at 19-9 (8-4 ACC) and fourth place in the ACC. Clemson falls to 11-15 (2-10 ACC) with the loss.
Carolina set the tone early in doubles play, earning the point with wins on courts one and two. At the top spot, UNC's duo of senior Esben Hess-Olesen and sophomore Brayden Schnur cruised past Hunter Harringon and Luke Johnson 8-2. The victory gives Hess-Olesen 50 doubles wins on his career. On court two, Carolina's 40th-ranked pair of Brett Clark and Robert Kelly tallied its ninth consecutive doubles win with an 8-5 triumph over Hampton Drake and Robert Dudley. The winning streak has coincided with conference play, as Clark and Kelly conclude the regular season a perfect 9-0 against ACC opponents.
In singles action, UNC relied on its top three singles players to secure the victory. Clark, ranked No. 65 nationally, got off the court first by besting Luke Johnson 6-3, 6-2 at the No. 3 spot for his 80th career singles victory. On court two, 24th-ranked sophomore Ronnie Schneider collected his 60th career singles win in a 6-4, 6-4 defeat of Alejandro Augusto. Schnur, ranked No. 14 nationally, clinched the match for the Tar Heels by topping Hunter Harrington 6-3, 7-6(8) on court one.
The Tigers regrouped and claimed the final three singles contests with the match out of reach. No. 111 Jack Murray fell to Daffra Sanon in three sets on court four, and Hampton Drake beat No. 108 Robert Kelly by default on court five. In the final match of the day, which was delayed due to Clemson's indoor facilities accommodating four matches at a time, UNC senior Andrew Gores fell to Robert Dudley 8-7(7) in an eight-game pro set.
Senior Oystein Steiro missed his fourth consecutive match due to injury.
As Gores was battling through his eight-game pro set, the Tar Heels jumped into fourth place in the ACC following a last-minute standings shuffle caused by Georgia Tech's upset win over Duke.
Carolina will travel to Cary for the ACC Tournament as the No. 4 seed. A first-round showdown with 13th-seeded Boston College is set for noon on Thursday.
#15 North Carolina 4, #72 Clemson 3
Singles competition
1. #14 Brayden Schnur (UNC) def. Hunter Harrington (CU) 6-3, 7-6 (10-8)
2. #24 Ronnie Schneider (UNC) def. Alejandro Augusto (CU) 6-4, 6-4
3. #65 Brett Clark (UNC) def. Luke Johnson (CU) 6-3, 6-2
4. Daffra Sanon (CU) def. #111 Jack Murray (UNC) 2-6, 6-4, 6-2
5. Hampton Drake (CU) def. #108 Robert Kelly (UNC), by default
6. Robert Dudley (CU) def. Andrew Gores (UNC) 8-7 (7-0)
Doubles competition
1. Esben Hess-Olesen/Brayden Schnur (UNC) def. Hunter Harrington/Luke Johnson (CU) 8-2
2. #40 Brett Clark/Robert Kelly (UNC) def. Hampton Drake/Robert Dudley (CU) 8-5
3. Austin Ansari/Alejandro Augusto (CU) vs. Jack Murray/Ronnie Schneider (UNC) 6-7, unfinished
Match Notes:
North Carolina 19-9, 8-4 ACC; National ranking
#15 Clemson 11-15, 2-10 ACC; National ranking #72
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2); Singles (3,2,1,4,5,6)
Players Mentioned
