Peck's Win Hands Tar Heels Victory Over No. 12 Illinois

Saturday, February 3

Chapel Hill

6:00 PM

North Carolina

Illinois

Josh Peck
University of North Carolina Men's Tennis v Campbell
Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center
Chapel Hill, NC
Monday, January 22, 2018

Sophomore Josh Peck's win at No. 5 gave UNC a 4-3 victory.

Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati

February 3, 2018 | Men's Tennis

By: UNC Athletic Communications

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – With the match tied at 3-3 and his teammates cheering from the adjacent court, sophomore Josh Peck rolled to a 6-2 win in his third set Saturday night to earn the North Carolina men's tennis team a 4-3 win over No. 12 Illinois. In front of a raucous crowd on the indoor courts at Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center, the third-ranked Tar Heels dropped the doubles point but stormed back to preserve their undefeated record. UNC is now 6-0 while the Illini fell to 3-1.

"It was a heck of a match," UNC coach Sam Paul said. "We know Illinois has a very good team, and it's always a battle with those guys. I'm proud of the character of my team to lose a close doubles point like that and come back."

In doubles, UNC earned the first win when junior Anu Kodali and freshman Benjamin Sigouin teamed up for the first time and won 6-3.

The other two doubles matches went into tie-breakers, and the Illini took both to gain a 1-0 lead heading into singles.

UNC 1, Illinois 1 The supreme talent of Freshman Benjamin Sigouin was on full display tonight, 6-2, 6-3 pic.twitter.com/ps6w9vSE2y
— UNC Men's Tennis (@carolinatennis) February 4, 2018

The Tar Heels started strong in singles, winning five of six first sets. Sigouin wrapped up his win first, 6-2, 6-3 at No. 2 over Aron Hiltzik. Shortly thereafter, senior Robert Kelly put UNC up 2-1 when he won 6-2, 6-4 at No. 3. On Court 6, junior Blaine Boyden won 6-1, 6-4 to put Carolina up 3-1.

Boyden gets UNC's 4th 1st set, 6-1 pic.twitter.com/LkDxJBVWhM
— UNC Men's Tennis (@carolinatennis) February 4, 2018

Illinois then took Court 4 to move to 3-2, leaving Court 1 and Court 5 the only ones still in action and the Tar Heels needing a win on just one for the team victory. On Court 1 William Blumberg fell in a second-set tiebreaker then suffered a 6-1 loss in the third set.

The score was tied 3-3 with Peck the only Tar Heel who could win it for his team. "I really enjoyed the moment for sure," he said. "I just thought it was really fun, playing out there when it was tied three all. I knew if I just could focus and execute I could get the job done for the team."

After dropping the second set in a tie-breaker, Peck took control in the third and won the set 6-2.

"It was great for Josh to step up in that situation, the first time he's been in it," Peck said. "He had no nerves at all. I'm really happy for him."

Josh Peck clinches Carolina's 4-3 win over Illinois 6-4, 6-7, 6-2 pic.twitter.com/fgh0tdi1w2
— UNC Men's Tennis (@carolinatennis) February 4, 2018

Josh Peck speaks to the media after after his 6-4, 6-7, 6-2 match clinching victory over #12 Illinois @CdnTennisNews #GoHeels pic.twitter.com/vCZX59P0HU
— UNC Men's Tennis (@carolinatennis) February 4, 2018

Next up for the Tar Heels is a third-straight homecourt matchup with a top-20 team. UNC hosts No. 16 TCU on Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center.

No. 3 North Carolina 4, No. 12 Illinois 3
Doubles
Order of match finish: (2,1,3)
1. Vukic/Hiltzik (UI) d. #3 Blumberg/Kelly (UNC), 7-6(5)
2. Kodali/Sigouin (UNC) d. Clark/Kovacevic (UI), 6-3
3. Brown/Chakravarthi (UI) d. Soendergarrd/Kiger (UNC), 7-6(4)

Singles
Order of match finish: (2,3,6,4,1,5)
1. Aleks Vukic (UI) d. #2 William Blumberg (UNC), 2-6, 7-6(5), 6-1
2. Benjamin Sigouin (UNC) d. Aron Hiltzik (UI), 6-2, 6-3
3. #94 Robert Kelly (UNC) d. Alex Brown (UI), 6-2, 6-4
4. Aleks Kovacevis (UI) d. #70 Simon Soendergaard (UNC), 6-4, 7-6(7)
5. #79 Joshua Peck (UNC) d. Zeke Clark (UI), 6-4, 6-7(2), 6-2
6. Blaine Boyden (UNC) d. Caleb Chakravarthi (UI), 6-1, 6-4

Records: UNC 6-0, Illinois 3-1
Time: 1:42