Hokies fall to top-ranked Wake Forest

BLACKSBURG – The Virginia Tech men's tennis team fell to top-ranked Wake Forest, 7-0 on Friday afternoon in ACC action at the Burrows-Burleson Tennis Center.

Wake (10-0, 1-0 ACC) got out to the early lead after winning the doubles point, but Tech (9-4, 0-3 ACC) battled the Deacs in singles, forcing four matches in to three sets.

On court one, Tech's 45th-ranked Mitch Harper squared off against No. 34 Skander Mansouri with the Deacs' player winning the first set 6-4. Harper responded in the second, controlling it by getting out to a 4-1 lead before going on to win it 6-4. Mansouri rallied for the third to secure the match 6-2.

Sophomore Alex Ribeiro faced Rrezart Cungu at the three, giving up the opening set 6-1. Ribeiro powered back in the second set to win it 6-2, but Cungu claimed the third 6-3.

Jason Kros won the opening set 6-4 over Julian Zlobinsky on court two, but the Wake player took the second 6-1. In the final set the two battled it out going to a tiebreak where Zlobinsky held on to win it 7-6(4).

The final match of the day was at five with Tech freshman Carlo Donato against redshirt sophomore Eduardo Nava. The two went toe-to-toe with the first two sets going to tiebreaks. Donato won the first one 7-6(5), but Nava took the second 7-6(4). In the final set, Nava kept the momentum going, winning it 6-0.

Tech will be back on the court at home on Sunday, March 18, hosting No. 16 NC State at 2 p.m.

Singles
1. #34 Skander Mansouri (WF) def. #45 Mitch Harper (VT) 6-4, 4-6, 6-2
2. Julian Zlobinsky (WF) def. Jason Kros (VT) 4-6, 6-1, 7-6(4)
3. Rrezart Cungu (WF) def. Alex Ribeiro (VT) 6-1, 2-6, 6-3
4. Alan Gadjiev (WF) def. Henrik Korsgaard (VT) 7-5, 6-1
5. Eduardo Nava (WF) def. Carlo Donato (VT) 6-7(5), 7-6(4), 6-0
6. #98 Yuval Solomon (WF) def. Chase Bernstine (VT) 6-3, 6-3
Order of finish: 4,6,1,3,2,5

Doubles
1. Ian Dempster/Christian Seraphim (WF) def. Korsgaard/Ribeiro (VT) 6-3
2. Gadjiev/Mansouri (WF) def. Donato/Harper (VT) 6-2
3. J. Kros/Mesmer (VT) vs. Bar Botzer/Zlobinsky (WF) 4-4 dnf
Order of finish: 2,1