Men's Tennis Cruises To Shutout Wins Over Campbell And NC Central

Thursday, January 19

Chapel Hill

3:30 PM

North Carolina

Campbell

Karl Poling

Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati

Men's Tennis Cruises To Shutout Wins Over Campbell And NC Central

January 19, 2023 | Men's Tennis

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Photo Gallery

CHAPEL HILL, N.C.—Seven Tar Heels won singles matches and four different doubles combinations picked up wins as the 18th-ranked North Carolina men's tennis team began its 2023 dual match season with a pair of dominant wins on Thursday at the Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center.

UNC didn't lose a set in singles or doubles in either match, winning every individual matchup in straight sets while experimenting with different lineups and doubles combinations throughout.

Carolina began the day by blanking Campbell, 7-0, before beating North Carolina Central, 7-0, in the nightcap. The Tar Heels are now 2-0 in 2023, while the Fightin' Camels and Eagles both fell to 0-1.

UNC, ranked No. 18 and one of six Atlantic Coast Conference teams in the preseason Intercollegiate Tennis Association Top 25, came into the season with high expectations. The team returned all but two of its regulars from a 2022 lineup that won 12 of its final 16 matches and reached the NCAA Championship Round of 16 for the eighth consecutive time.

The 2023 roster also features four gifted newcomers in graduate transfers Karl Poling and Ryan Seggerman and freshmen Will Jensen and Benjamin Kittay, all of whom made nice debuts on Thursday.

"Campbell and North Carolina Central are good teams, and we learned some things about our team today," said UNC head coach Sam Paul. "Same old story this time of year. We're learning some things about our team, some things we've got to work on. It's all part of the process as we try to get better."

Against the Camels, Poling and Jansen cruised to a 6-3 win at No. 3 doubles, followed by wins by Cernoch and Kittay (6-3) at No. 2 and Seggerman and Casey Kania (6-3) at No. 1 for a 1-0 UNC lead.

Cernoch and Seggerman breezed to straight-set wins to start the day in singles against Campbell, with Seggerman playing in the No. 1 slot and Cernoch at No. 2. Poling then beat Benjamin Maes, 6-4, 6-4, at No. 4 singles to clinch the team win for Carolina.

Sophomore Chris Li followed with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Gustavs Lukstins at No. 6 and senior Anuj Watane beat Robin Angles, 6-2, 6-4, at No. 5. Jensen's win at No. 3 singles featured the most exciting finish against the Fightin' Camels. After trailing, 5-3, in the second set, Jensen won two of the next three games to trail, 6-5. He then held serve to force a tiebreaker, which he won, 7-4.

In the nightcap against NC Central, Carolina cruised to the doubles point behind a 6-0 win at No. 3 from Poling and Peter Murphy followed by a 6-2 victory at No. 2 by Cernoch and Kittay.

Cernoch and Seggerman swapped positions in the singles lineup against the Eagles. Cernoch grabbed the first singles win of the night, 6-1, 6-1, at No. 1 over Sebastian Pino. Wins by Watane at No. 3 singles, Murphy at No. 4 and Seggerman at No. 2 followed. Kittay won the final match of the night over Shaka Cristellotti at No. 6.

Carolina will return to action on Sunday with its first road match of the season, a noon matinee at No. 9-ranked South Carolina in Columbia, S.C.

Campbell vs North Carolina 01/19/2023 at Chapel Hill, N.C. (Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center)
#18 North Carolina 7, Campbell 0
Singles competition
1. Ryan Seggerman (NC) def. Damien Nezar (CAM) 6-3, 6-1
2. Brian Cernoch (NC) def. Lukas Steffen (CAM) 6-0, 6-1
3. Will Jansen (NC) def. Tomas Balazi (CAM) 6-2, 6-6 (7-4)
4. Karl Poling (NC) def. Benjamin Maes (CAM) 6-4, 6-4
5. Anuj Watane (NC) def. Robin Angles (CAM) 6-2, 6-4
6. Chris Li (NC) def. Gustavs Lukstins (CAM) 6-2, 6-4

Doubles competition
1. Ryan Seggerman/Casey Kania (NC) def. Damien Nezar/Benjamin Maes (CAM) 6-3
2. Brian Cernoch/Benjamin Kittay (NC) def. Tomas Balazi/Robin Angles (CAM) 6-1
3. Karl Poling/Will Jansen (NC) def. Lukas Steffen/Will Thompson (CAM) 6-3

Match Notes:
Campbell 0-1
North Carolina 1-0; National ranking #18
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (2,1,4,6,5,3)

N.C. Central vs North Carolina 01/19/2023 at Chapel Hill, NC (Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center)
#18 North Carolina 7, N.C. Central 0
Singles competition
1. Brian Cernoch (NC) def. PINO,Sebastian (NCCU) 6-1, 6-1
2. Ryan Seggerman (NC) def. SAARINEN,Oliver (NCCU) 6-3, 6-2
3. Anuj Watane (NC) def. ABDUL HAKIM,Kareem (NCCU) 6-1, 6-1
4. Peter Murphy (NC) def. BHARATHY,Naresh (NCCU) 6-2, 6-0
5. Chris Li (NC) def. OLMEDO,Facundo (NCCU) 6-3, 6-1
6. Benjamin Kittay (NC) def. CRISTELLOTTI,Shaka (NCCU) 6-2, 6-2

Doubles competition
1. Ryan Seggerman/Casey Kania (NC) vs. PINO,Sebastian/SAARINEN,Oliver (NCCU) 4-3, unfinished
2. Brian Cernoch/Benjamin Kittay (NC) def. ABDUL HAKIM,Kareem/SNEED,Neiman (NCCU) 6-2
3. Karl Poling/Peter Murphy (NC) def. GILCHRIST,LaQuon/OLMEDO,Facundo (NCCU) 6-0

Match Notes:
N.C. Central 0-1
North Carolina 2-0; National ranking #18
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2); Singles (1,3,4,5,2,6)