No. 2 Virginia overcame an early deficit to defeat No. 65 North Carolina 4-2 Sunday afternoon at the Virginia Tennis Facility at Boar’s Head Resort. The Cavaliers (14-2 6-0 ACC) dropped the doubles point and fell behind 2-0 after the first singles match finished, but responded by winning four straight singles matches to complete the comeback over the Tar Heels (9-7, 2-4 ACC).
The victory capped a strong weekend for Virginia, which also defeated Duke on Friday, and improved the Cavaliers to 8-0 at home this season.
North Carolina opened the afternoon by capturing the doubles point.
The Tar Heels struck first on Court 3, where North Carolina graduate student Logan Zapp and freshman Ian Mayew faced sophomore Keegan Rice and freshman Andres Santamarta Roig. North Carolina played aggressively from the baseline, breaking serve early and quickly building an advantage. Rice and Santamarta Roig attempted to slow the tempo and extend rallies, but the Tar Heels maintained control and closed out the match 6-2 to give the visitors the first doubles victory.
Virginia responded on Court 2 as senior Mans Dahlberg and sophomore Jangjun Kim, ranked No. 37 nationally as a duo, defeated North Carolina’s sophomore Chris Xu and junior Niels Ratiu. Dahlberg and Kim controlled the match with aggressive returns and quick service holds to keep the match on serve early. With the score tied late in the set, Dahlberg and Kim secured a crucial break and held their next service game to take the match 6-4, evening the doubles competition.
The deciding match came on Court 1, where Virginia’s No. 9-ranked pair of junior Dylan Dietrich and sophomore Stiles Brockett faced North Carolina’s Roan Jones and Anthony Wright. Both teams held serve through the early portion of the set as the rallies grew more physical. The Tar Heel duo then secured a late break and closed out the match 6-4 to claim the doubles point and give North Carolina an early 1-0 lead.
The energy at the courts was loud throughout doubles play, with the Tar Heels squad vocal after winning big points. Virginia’s sideline and crowd responded, matching North Carolina’s energy and keeping the atmosphere lively as the match shifted to singles play.
North Carolina extended its lead early in singles play on Court 6. Brockett faced Wright, who controlled the match from the baseline and forced the Virginia sophomore into long rallies. Wright jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first set, consistently keeping balls deep and forcing Brockett to hit more shots before changing direction to finish points. Brockett struggled to find rhythm, missing several forehands long as Wright closed the opening set 6-0. The second set followed a similar pattern, with Wright winning the match 6-0, 6-0 to give the Tar Heels a 2-0 lead. It was a challenging weekend for Brockett, who also dropped his singles match against the Blue Devils (8-8, 3-3 ACC) on Friday, but the sophomore has been a key contributor for the Cavaliers this season, and will look to bounce back as Virginia heads into the next stretch of ACC dual matches.
Virginia began its rally on Court 5, where Dahlberg faced North Carolina freshman Kase Schinnerer. Dahlberg quickly took control of the match, building a 4-2 lead in the opening set before closing it 6-2 with strong serving and aggressive baseline play. In the second set, Dahlberg maintained his momentum and shot selection, leading 3-2 before extending the advantage to 5-2 and finishing the match 6-2, 6-2. The victory cut North Carolina’s lead to 2-1 and shifted momentum toward the Cavaliers.
Shortly after Dahlberg finished, No. 1-ranked Dietrich delivered another key point for Virginia on Court 1 against Xu. Dietrich quickly established dominance in the opening set, building a 4-1 lead with powerful forehands and sharp down the line shots. Xu fought back to keep the set competitive, but Dietrich closed it out 6-4. The second set moved quickly in Virginia’s favor. Dietrich raced to a 5-1 lead before finishing the match 6-4, 6-2 to tie the overall score at 2-2 amidst loud cheering from the stands.
On Court 2, No. 14 Rice faced No. 42-ranked Jones in a match defined by long baseline exchanges cut short by Rice’s change of direction or pace. Rice mixed his shot selection effectively, incorporating slices and drop shots to disrupt Jones’ rhythm. After briefly trailing early, Rice surged ahead, winning five straight games to claim the first set 6-2. He continued controlling the tempo in the second set, building a 3-1 lead before extending it to 5-3. Jones attempted to lengthen rallies in hopes for an unforced error from Rice, but Rice remained steady and closed the match 6-2, 6-4 to put Virginia ahead 3-2.
With the match on the line, No. 28 Santamarta Roig delivered the clinch on Court 3 against North Carolina’s No. 82 Mayew. Santamarta Roig held a narrow 4-3 lead midway through the first set before pulling away to take it 6-4. The second set remained tight early, with the players tied 3-3 before Santamarta Roig broke serve to move ahead 4-3. As Virginia’s sidelines grew louder, Santamarta Roig maintained his composure and pushed the lead to 5-3 before closing the match 6-4, 6-3 to secure the Cavaliers’ 4-2 victory.
On Court 4, No. 84 Kim was locked in a competitive match with North Carolina senior Constantinos Djakouris when play was halted. Kim took the opening set 6-4 after mixing in backhand slices to change the tempo of rallies and disrupt Djakouris’ rhythm. At one point in the match, North Carolina received a point penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct after repeated arguments over line calls that had been overruled by the chair umpire. Kim led 3-2 in the second set when Santamarta Roig clinched the match.
The comeback victory capped a perfect home weekend for Virginia, which defeated both Duke and North Carolina to remain unbeaten in ACC play. The Cavaliers will now take their undefeated conference record onto the road next weekend, traveling to Raleigh to face No. 20 NC State on Friday before meeting No. 4 Wake Forest in Winston-Salem on Sunday.
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